


Poppies

by SpookshowBabyx



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-22
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2018-01-16 14:35:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 49
Words: 104,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1351012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpookshowBabyx/pseuds/SpookshowBabyx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Regina stalks off while the group is stuck in Neverland, Emma worries about her safety. Suggesting to the others that she doesn't want to have to explain things to Henry if they go wrong, she goes off in search of the Mayor, only to find an ominous fairy has gotten there first. After stepping in to help, the two explore the strange bond that has been blossoming between them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 01

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Ummm... the result of 30 minutes before bed and a bottle of vodka. This is a lead in- I won't say one-shot, as I like to lie in these notes!- to a scene an anon suggested I try and tackle a while back. I've never written a chapter in about 20 minutes before, so not sure how this will read, but figured as I'd done it, I may as well upload it and see what you guys think :) Open to suggestion, and hope you enjoy! Please review!

"Whatever, I just think we should have stuck together; you heard what Hook said about this place."

The pirate looks up as his name falls from the blonde's lips, but she doesn't even spare him a glance; her attention focused on Mary Margaret.

Charming stands at his bride's side, but takes minimal offence to the way the Sheriff directs her words almost solely towards Snow. Enough time- and conversation with the schoolteacher- has passed that he understands that Emma doesn't so much _blank_ him, so much as not have a _clue_ how to deal with him being a part of such conversations. He and Snow are her parents, but for the blonde, she has yet to shake the veil of seeing them as Mary Margaret and David, and whereas she trusts her housemate regardless of her guise, she has yet to warm to him in the same way.

He has desisted trying to hold her to him since coming to this realisation.

_Save for pulling her from an untimely death at the wrath of the sea not a couple of days ago..._

"I understand, Emma, but right now we need to continue searching for _Henry_. Regina can look after herself."

Snow insists with diminishing patience; the Mayor's slap to her face still fresh in her memory.

 _And that's not all... In the madness of what has come to pass, are we just to_ forget _that the woman attempted to poison you? That she tried- failed, but_ tried _\- to kill you on several occasions? After all this time, such things have yet to be addressed... In fact... It's sometimes as though you almost seem to seek her_ out _!_

She says none of this. It is simply something she has come to accept, and ask of her husband to do the same.

She supposes she can understand it.

_...In a way..._

Ever since the curse has broken, Emma has clung firmly to some sort of bond- be it negative or naively positive- with the bothersome brunette, and in way it makes sense, as it is with _Regina_ that she had endured the most realistic of relationships while the rest of them had remained blind to the truth.

Regina is the Emma's normality.

_That... And there seems to be some inexplicable sense of camaraderie that has been building between those two over the past couple of days._

Before the brunette took her leave.

Before the Queen deserted them.

"I know that, but what if it's what he _wants_?"

"Who?"

" _Pan_. What if he _wants_ us to split up, because it's the easiest way to eliminate us?"

"I wouldn't fret, love. Pan _gave_ you that map, didn't he? He still has a game to play, Emma... We're no fun to him dead..."

The pirate reasons from the shadows; lent against the stone face of a cliff as he idly winds a vine of ivy around the sharp curve of his hook.

The Sheriff frowns, but her father nods in begrudged agreement.

"Regina was pitting you against us, Emma, and she was fighting a losing battle. She'll be fine. Of _all_ of us she's best equipped to deal with Pan and his boys, and for now, we need to save Henry... We're not going to leave this island without her if we can help it, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

The blonde's frown deepens. She imagines David is sincere in what he says- or at least he _believes_ that he is- and that her parents- the fucking _Charmings_ \- are _indeed_ unlikely to wish to leave a fallen man- or woman- behind. What concerns her is how little they know about their antagonist, and how ominous the landscape that surrounds them has become. She may find the Mayor to be a handful, but at least she knows what she's _getting_ with Regina.

She hadn't wanted the Wraith to take the Queen.

And nor, now, does she wish for Regina to fall prey to any unforeseen dangers on this godforsaken island.

For one, she understands that enough has changed to mean that Henry would no more forgive her if she allowed such a thing to happen then he would have forgiven the brunette should she have failed to pull Mary Margaret and herself from the well.

For another... She's grown accustomed to having Regina around.

Snapping at her.

Dismissing her.

Aiding her.

"And what am I supposed to tell Henry if something bad happens?"

"It _won't_ , Emma!"

Snow argues earnestly; her eyes flickering to the comfort of the tents lined up neatly by the dwindling fire.

"I can't risk that... For Henry's sake...Look, I'll be back in a bit; I'm going to take one last look around to see if I can find her."

She shucks on her sword before the others can stop her and stalks towards the militant line of shrubbery that bars the way. Several adverse opinions come from behind her, but she takes care not to address them or acknowledge their existence. She doesn't _want_ to argue with her parents, and she doesn't want to engage Hook in the obscure... Whatever it is... That they have going on between them. She doesn't want a companion on her search, and not just because of the way her brain is wired to find such a feat of camaraderie and care undesirable... The others have made their thoughts on the long ago Queen quite clear, and she doesn't want to listen to them any longer.

_Sure, with Regina playing company on this strange excursion it had been trying._

_But it had been preferable to_ this _._

Pushing aside the cloying leaves that play her setting, she disappears into the heavy musk of the jungle with an absent prayer to any interested deity that her sense of direction will be adequate to lead her back to camp when the time comes.

* * *

Looping coarse vines around slender wrists and securing her ties, the disgraced fairy sits back and admires her handiwork.

She feels oddly smug, but along with the anger and cunning that have led her to momentarily overthrow the Evil Queen, she is also subject to another feeling...

Confusion.

Truth be told, it had shaken her to find herself back in the company of Regina after all that had come to pass, and she is wary now of just how to continue on from the little tableaux she has instigated upon them.

She had been surprised when she had taken it upon herself to follow the brunette once learning of her presence on the island, to find that the darker woman hadn't been travelling alone. True, her interactions with _three_ of her companions had been brisk and snide, and entirely true to form so far as the fairy's concerned... But with the blonde?

Well... With the rather brutish blonde that accompanies the strange party of newcomers, the Queen had seemed a little more tactful, and- hard to believe- friendly. They had murmured to and confided in one another several times that she has seen, and each had seemed reluctant to let the other fall prey to Pan's tricks in a way that had almost suggested a sense of _caring_...

"No. Not caring... Not from _you_... I know your _true_ heart, Regina, and there is no space for such a thing."

_So who, then, is the oddly clad young woman to whom the Queen has shown several moments of kindness?_

Her idle pondering is cut short as, all of a sudden, the tranquillity that casts its hazy grace over the cave in which she resides is broken by the snap of a branch lying on the forest floor.


	2. Chapter 02

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you guys for your reviews so far; in all honesty, I woke up and had forgotten I'd even written anything, so that was a surprise! Today also entailed a whole lot of sitting around and waiting for a tow truck, so I know I hadn't really made it clear whether this was being continued, but evidently it is, as this all came scrawling out on a piece of paper while waiting! Hope you enjoy! Please review! :)

"Who's there?

The fairy calls out with purposeful authority. True, she has succumbed to a life lower than any she had conceived of in her naïve youth, but she is regarded with a certain amount of respect in this oddest of settings; having shown Neverland's prepubescent leader her hand in loyalty on several occasions in the past.

"Answer me!"

Louder now, and she rises from her perch upon one of the moss-laden rocks to stalk towards the opening of the cave. She is rewarded no verbal answer, but the telling sound of snapping twigs and crunching leaves grows undoubtedly closer.

Squaring herself up, Tinkerbell places a hand warily on the hilt of the dagger sheathed at her waist. It would be unusual for one of the Lost Boys to seek her out, but stranger still for them to negate to make themselves known. As such, she suspects that her visitor must be one of the strangers the Queen has brought with her.

 _Well... Not_ all _strangers... Hook I recognise, but this in no way serves to quell any unease!_

"Show yourself!"

And, finally, her request is obeyed; the sharp blade of a long-sword slashing neatly through the heavy vines of the forest, before it is succeeded by the curious blonde over whom she had so recently been pondering.

"You..."

She breathes with a frown, bright eyes darting over her new arrival shrewdly.

Up close- and without the distorting veil of the bushes- she is surprised to discover that the woman in question is quite a bit older than she'd imagined her to be; girlishly long hair providing a misleading sense of youth. That said, she finds her previous assessment of the blonde as 'brutish' to be ill-suited also; sharp features surprisingly open, and green eyes wide and weary.

"And _you_..."

Emma replies; frowning as she lowers her sword.

It doesn't escape the fairy's attention that the weapon never completely makes its full descent.

"You know who I am?"

Tinkerbell inquires cagily; not imagining their story would have been one that the Queen would be anxious to share.

"Tinkerbell."

"How can it be that you know my name?... Did the pirate speak of me?"

" _Everyone_ in the world I come from knows your name."

"Impossible!"

"Yet true... Turns out not a whole lot is as impossible as you'd think."

The blonde shrugs; eyes narrowing as her attention falls upon the other woman's lazy grip on her dagger. Following the direction of Emma's gaze, Tink withdraws her hand slowly; showing her unwanted visitor her palm in a weary display of momentary truce.

"Well... However you came by the information, you know who _I_ am... But _I_ don't know you..."

"...Emma."

The younger woman offers eventually after a moment's hesitation, but this exchange of pleasantries does little to alter her defensive stance.

"Okay... What can I do for you, Emma?"

"I'm looking for someone. A... Umm, a friend, I guess. She's walked off and I'm worried about her; this place isn't exactly Disney Land."

"A friend?"

"Of sorts... Have you seen anyone come by here?"

"... Just you..."

The fairy responds with a shrug; taking a small step back so that she stands directly before the mouth of the cave. The movement is odd, and catches the Sheriff's eye, but it is the behaviour of one with their guard well raised, and this in itself strikes Emma as a little hypocritical to begin questioning.

"Right... Well, if you see anything..."

"I will let your 'friend' know that she has acquired a search party."

Tinkerbell offers with a small note of sass that has her guest struggling to suppress a glower.

"Just tell her we're much more likely to find... What we're looking for, if we stick together."

"What _are_ you looking for?"

The fairy's eyes sparkle as the younger woman tenses up immediately; her sword swiftly rising to half-mast.

"Look, no offence... But-"

"-You don't know me..."

"Right."

Shrugging to show that she possesses no hurt feelings, Tink gives a small start as she catches a low rustling of leaves from behind her. Smiling wryly at Emma, she opens out her hands in defeat and begins to turn for the cave.

"Well, I'll keep an eye out, Emma. If I see anyone; I'll let them know they're wanted."

"Needed."

"Excuse me?"

"Needed... Not want-... Just tell them to get their ass back to camp!"

"...As you wish..."

"You'll know her if you see her; slim, brunette... Attractive... Looks entirely out of place here, and will probably be walking around like this"

The blonde pulls herself up to her full height and adopts an obscure stance of regality as she sniffs disdainfully down at the mulch beneath her boots.

The fairy suppresses a giggle; imagining Regina would make swift work of this curious young woman should she ever play witness to such an impersonation.

Not that she plans on the brunette's wrath being something to fear for too much longer.

"I'll bear that in mind."

"... Thanks..."

"Take care of yourself, Emma."

"Always do."

The Sheriff replies with a roughness that has Tink inwardly rolling her eyes. She has seen those like this woman before- such mannerisms common in many of the boys Pan brings to the island- and knows that more often than not they are nothing but a cloak for fear. Raising her hand in a gesture of farewell, she turns to disappear into the depths of the cave, before Emma calls after her once more.

"Wait..."

"Yes?"

"... Can you... I mean... Are you really a fairy? Can you fly?"

Regarding the blonde levelly, Tinkerbell holds her curious gaze coolly, before sniffing in a way that reminds the Sheriff oddly of the woman she seeks, and inspecting her nails as if for dirt.

"No. I'm not 'really' a fairy. Not anymore."


	3. Chapter 03

There is a bitterness to the disgraced fairy's tone that causes Emma to frown, but the woman in question turns from her in a way that is so _clearly_ dismissive that she doesn't bother to call her out on it. Glancing back to the narrow scar she has created through the thick vines that wall the clearing, she nibbles at her bottom lip as she tries to decide on a course of action.

She is a little thrown to have engaged in conversation- however terse and brief- with none other than Tinkerbell, for more reasons than just the obscurity of the fact.

Obscurity is something she has learnt to handle.

She simply hadn't imagined she'd cross paths with any but Pan or his boys.

Telling herself that she should find _relief_ in the fact that her excursion away from the camp has led her to little trouble, she sheaths her sword back between her shoulder-blades and scuffs at some of the dry leaves that lie at her feet.

She supposes she should head back to the others as her search has been entirely fruitless, but, as she stalks back through the ominous snarls of the undergrowth, she finds herself thinking again and again on the peculiar conversation instigated by the Queen not too long ago.

Regina had wanted them to go on without her- something which she herself had vehemently refused- upon mention of the fairy... She had warned them that while in her presence, it would be unlikely that they would find help or get what they wanted... Mentioning a history with the legendary 'Tinkerbell'.

Emma frowns; hissing as a thorn drags against the back of her hand. She inspects the flesh nervously- Hook's warning about the danger of the local vegetation suddenly springing to mind- but it is just a small mark, and the culprit is a simple thicket of brambles much like any back home.

"Well, even _without_ Regina, she wasn't exactly _helpful._.."

She mutters as she journeys on with a little more care.

"Surely- in a land overrun by boys- she would have recognised that description, though..."

Climbing up over a fallen log, her brow furrows deeper.

* * *

"Who was that?"

Tinkerbell demands as she perches back on her deserted rock; sparing the darker woman whose lashes flutter blearily open a stern glance.

"...Wh-at?"

"The blonde woman. Emma. Who is she?"

"...Emma?"

Regina frowns; sluggishly assessing her surroundings, and adopting a confused expression when she spies no sign of the woman in question. The fairy pays this little mind, simply studying her with that sharp, yet unnerving gaze.

"Yes. Who is she? And who are the others you brought here? What business do you have in Neverland?"

With the cloudiness that swamps her thoughts lifting slightly, the brunette sniffs irritably, glancing down at the crude bindings that keep her wrists pressed tightly together, and finding herself unsurprised when she is unable to command their release. Glancing back up at Tink, she moves carefully so that she sits up; regarding the paler woman with a bored glower that says more than her words do of what she thinks of her current predicament.

"I'm looking for someone. My son. Emma and her parents are simply unwanted baggage weighing me down in this task."

"And the pirate? Hook is travelling with you also. How do you know him?"

"An old acquaintance of mine, but his only part to play within this _current_ fiasco is a pathetic pining after the fair Swan."

"Swan?"

"Miss Swan- Emma- but suffice to say that the entire situation is most tiresome."

"I can well imagine."

"Indeed. She spares him no real interest; she's merely confused and cripplingly hopeful in the face of any display of camaraderie, though, of course, she strives to hide such a thing."

"... I meant more that you would find the company of the pirate and the others tiresome..."

"Oh... Yes, well, quite."

Regina snaps irritably, holding her wrists out to the blonde who continues to study her shrewdly.

"What is the meaning of this? Untie me."

"You can't just 'magic' your way free?"

"No... But then you _know_ this already. You are the culprit."

Tink nods in agreement- squaring her shoulders- and the darker woman narrows her eyes as she takes a moment to assess the situation.

"You knocked me out and dragged me here... Not by magic, though... I'm guessing- from the strength, and that most _unpleasant_ tingle- poppies?... Why?"

"You insult me with such a question? You wonder _why_ I might take issue with you trespassing on my land?"

" _Your_ land? Please... I know next to nothing about the boy, and yet I know enough to rest assured that this is _Pan's_ land, and that _you_ merely inhabit it.. Nice cave, by the way-"

"-Shut your mouth!"

"No... And my query has little to do with past bygones, but rather the fact that you would use poppies rather than fairy dust to do your bidding at all?"

" _Past bygones_?! A rather _casual_ way of wording what you did to me!"

"What? Asking you to leave after you attempted to meddle in my affairs-"

"-I was trying to _help_! I was trying to make your life _better_! To help you find your true love-"

"-And you failed!"

" _No!_ You never went in! You never even _tried_! I led you to him, and you gave in to fear! I've gone over it again and again in my head, and that's the _only_ explanation I can think of! You were a _coward_... And it cost me my wings..."

The fairy hisses angrily; baring down on the brunette who regards her with an unreadable expression.

"You lost your magic...?"

Regina breathes quietly in comprehension, and she lets out an irritable noise of disagreement as Tinkerbell pulls her roughly to her feet. She struggles to decide whether to side with fear or anger in her current position; the first not being an emotion that comes naturally to her, but she doesn't suppose she finds herself drugged and bound on a regular basis either.

"You _ruined_ me..."

And with that, she understands that the correct response to her predicament would be fear; the blonde plucking a dagger from her side and brandishing it not with warning, but with intent.

"I did nothing of the sort... I didn't _ask_ for your help, and you were _foolish_ to try and offer it! You _knew_ who I was!"

"I saw _good_ in you... I wanted to give you a chance to be something _else_! I-"

"-Don't be a martyr! I didn't _need_ a chance. My true love is dead, and there is _nothing_ you could have done to change that!"

"... You could have had more than _one_ , Regina... Could have done... But it's too late for that now... There is too much darkness in you to allow for such a thing... You are nothing but hate!"

"You know nothing about my life, moth!"

The brunette goads, eyes flashing in the darkness as the crude point to the fairy's blade lightly caresses her flesh. Her breathing coming a little quicker now, she takes care to remain motionless as Tink moves in towards her so that they stand nose to nose. She is curiously reminded of _another_ blonde as the tension rises and they stand unnaturally close to one another, and the thought causes her to smirk a little; something that goes down sourly with her current company.

"You find this _funny_?! You think I'm just messing around? Do you know what the tip of this dagger is dipped in?"

"I'm going to guess that it's dipped in dreamshade... And I don't find this to be amusing, but rather dreadfully contrived... Look at you... So angry. So full of the hate you claim embodies me... If you want revenge, Tink-"

The fairy's eyes shoot open as the Queen plunges a hand into the depths of her own chest without warning and extracts the eerily glowing vessel of her heart in order to proffer it up between them

"-Then take it _properly_... If you're going to do it... _Do_ it... But I warn you; your actions will take a toll on your own heart, and your need for vengeance will have it turning just as withered, and just as black as what you see before you now..."

"... Are you pleading with me?"

"Not at all. I'm offering you a choice... Take it if you must."

She growls, but her expression reads of thinly veiled apprehension, and Tink hesitates as she keeps her tainted blade pressed to delicate flesh.

"You're tricking me..."

She challenges, stepping in even closer so that she is pressed flush with the brunette who lets out an involuntary murmur of disquiet as the cool metal of the dagger digs into the vulnerable hollow of her throat a little deeper.

To fall victim to the mercy of dreamshade would be a cruel fate indeed.

"N-no! I-"

But the fairy hisses at her to hush; plucking the slowly thrumming heart from the darker woman's fingers and contemplating it pensively as she keeps Regina pinned against the wall. Squeezing it as a test of the power it holds over the brunette, her eyes shimmer as the latter makes a choked noise that speaks quite clearly of pain.

"Do you see what I have become because of you? What _you_ turned me into?!"

A harder squeeze now, and the Queen's sooty lashes become salted with tears as her hands form fists against the rock.

"Don't _toy_ with it..."

She croaks with admirable irritability despite the clench to her jaw, and Tinkerbell shakes her head, digging her nails in once again to send the darker woman sinking to her knees.

" _You_ don't get a say... We're not going to do this _your_ way... We're-"

"'No. You're going to do it _mine_..."

Comes a low warning from behind them, and the fairy's eyes widen as the telling point of a blade touches her lightly between the shoulders.

"Step away from her..."

Tink complies slowly; taking a hesitant step backwards as she feels the weapon pressed against her spine move carefully along with her, before turning around cautiously to find herself face to face with the blonde from earlier. Chancing a glance down at the brunette who kneels with her hand pressed to her chest and wary confusion at her brow, the fairy looks back up at Emma with a frown.

"...Seriously... Who _is_ she?"


	4. Chapter 4

_"_ _...Seriously... Who_ is _she?"_

Tink's brow furrows, and she takes another step backwards in the hopes that the younger woman will lower her sword. Emma does no such thing; offering the fairy an unforgiving stare as she demands an explanation from the brunette.

"What's going on, Regina?"

"Nothing that concerns _you_ , Sheriff... And I'm _fine_ by the way, thanks for asking."

The Queen huffs as she pushes herself unsteadily to her feet. Her wrists remain bound, but she has managed to garner a little give from the vines with the twist of her hands when she had plucked out her heart, though this does little to appease her irritation at the decided lack of grace her predicament lends her.

The Sheriff rolls her eyes at the darker woman's words, before her gaze falls to the eery glow emanating from between Tinkerbell's fingers and her mouth opens with slow comprehension.

"Is that..."

"It's mine."

Regina snaps, with an arrogant sniff that should be amusing given the context of their current situation, but the raspy note of pain is still evident in her tone, and the shock of seeing such a thing in the flesh- and not just on the pages of a book- sits heavy on the blonde's brow as she raises her sword a little higher and inquires of the fairy fearfully

"You took her _heart_?!"

Eyeing the damning point of the younger woman's sword warily, Tinkerbell chances a glance at the brunette as she continues to await an answer as to what business the curious blonde before her might have meddling in their conversation. Sighing- and wondering if she is perhaps the _only_ one to feel that the empty cavern of her chest supersedes such pointless niceties- Regina lowers her hands down to hang in front of her waist and looks from one woman to the other wearily.

"Emma. You said her name yourself."

"That's not what I meant."

"She's-"

"-I'm a pissed off mother... And confused as to why _Tinkerbell_ is holding a fucking heart! I thought you were one of the good-"

"-You're a mother? ...Your boy was taken by Pan?"

"Yes, Henry, but-"

"- _Henry_?... Henry is your son _also_?"

The fairy frowns, looking to the Queen who snaps at her swiftly

"Not in _that_ way-"

She rolls her eyes as the Sheriff's cheeks pinken

"-It's complicated."

At this, Emma nods; dipping her blade so that it catches the light filtering in through from the entrance of the cave and draws Tinkerbell's attention once more.

"Never _mind_ who I am. You-"

"-Oh, but I _do_ mind... Strangers and trespassers are not the norm here as it is, but for the Evil Queen to be working alongside another- to share a _child_ with her no less- _that_ is something I'm having trouble believing..."

"Well, then I don't know what to tell you, as it's the truth." Emma shrugs. "And she's not the Evil Queen; she's just _Regina_ , and right now, she and I have a common interest, which starts with both of us wanting you to, uh, put that thing back where it came from."

The Sheriff glances at the brunette for confirmation, and the darker woman offers her a raised brow of disdain which belies the small twitch of amusement at her lips.

_'Just' Regina?_

_Charming._

Electing to back the younger woman as the latter proceeds to look a little uncertain of herself, the Queen clears her throat and addresses the fairy irritably.

"If you were going to turn my heart to ash, you would have done so already. You're not a killer... So give it back."

She extends her bound hands to Tinkerbell authoritatively, but the blonde negates to hand over the thrumming vessel in her hand. Glowering at Emma when her disobedience garners her a warning swish of the Sheriff's sword, she snaps at her snidely

"And _you_ have little clue how to hold a sword, despite your attitude... No _wonder_ Hook likes you."

" _Excuse_ me?!"

The Sheriff growls, and Regina sighs as she moves around to stand beside Emma; enough bickering with the younger woman during their tumultuous past assuring her that to let the current train of conversation go on uninterrupted will result in nothing but a splitting headache.

"Whether Miss Swan knows how to _hold_ a sword or not, she knows how to _use_ one... And you may not be a killer- and I may be suffering the side-effects of the poppies- but _she's_ just about idiotic and unstable enough to actually go _through_ with her jabbed threats... Give me back my heart... Whatever has passed between the two of us, I actually have a _use_ for it now... I didn't come here for trouble, and I most certainly didn't plan on running into _you_ while here... I- _we-_ want one thing, and while you aren't able to help us as it turns out, you don't need to _hinder_ us either."

"You have a use for it?... The boy... You love him?"

"Of course I do!"

Regina snaps, but, when silence follows her retort, her shoulders slump and she adopts a less combative tone.

"I love him very much... And as such, a lot has changed. For Henry I am trying to do the right thing- the _good_ thing- and right now, he needs me to help him..."

"... If you imagine you'll be able to best _Pan_ then you're a fool..."

"I don't see what other choice I have."

Sighing, Tinkerbell looks down at the heart sitting delicately in her grasp, before she holds it out to the brunette and mutters

"As you said, this is my chance to be the bigger person... Wait here."

And with that, she stalks off into the shadows; the other two watching her go before glancing at one another.

"Didn't I tell you we'd be better off sticking together?"

Emma grumbles, a little shrilly as her gaze fixes warily on the peculiar glow of the Queen's heart.

"Oh, like you foresaw _this_ happening, Sheriff?"

"Well, no, not this _exact_ situation... But... I thought you'd maybe get into trouble, or get hurt or something..."

"What, without _you_ around to protect me, dear?"

The darker woman sarks snidely, but her eyes glitter as Emma reaches tentatively forward to work apart the knot in the vines binding her wrists; going to great lengths to avoid touching the curious vessel the Queen holds in her left hand.

"Well, clearly you _need_ protecting."

The blonde growls irritably, and Regina sighs and cordially hides a small smile.

"I had everything under control."

She assures the Sheriff airily; smirking as green eyes dart away warily as she restores her heart to its original place.

"...Does it... Does it hurt when you do... That?"

"Would you like me to show you?"

The darker woman responds cattily, and the blonde crosses her arms swiftly over the soft swell of her chest with much less nonchalance than she would have liked. Smirk softening into a smile as she massages her wrists gently; Regina calls for truce.

"No, it doesn't hurt. 'Heat' is probably the most accurate description of the sensation. It only hurts if harm is intended."

"Like Tinkerbell just-"

"-She and I have a long history, Sheriff... She... Well, she is unable to help us, and it is through some of _my_ actions that she no longer possesses her wings, nor her magic."

"Oh, I can help you in _other_ ways..."

Comes an echoed response as the fairy sidles back into view. She shoulders a small knapsack, and holds her hands up when the blonde instantly raises her blade.

"Put it away, dear."

The Queen murmurs quietly; her hand closing lightly over the younger woman's as she guides Emma's sword back down.

Regarding Regina with a measured look before glancing back at Tink warily, the Sheriff does as she's told and slowly slides the sword back into its sheath with a sigh.

"How do you mean? Help us how?"

The Queen asks of the fairy, her brow furrowed in question.

"You don't know the island. I do."

"You're going to help us?"

Emma challenges distrustfully.

"To a point. Your business is your own, and I have no intention to put myself at any risk for your boy... But nor do I wish for him to suffer. Helping people is what I do- what I _once_ did- and from what I have seen, you need all the help you can get."


	5. Chapter 5

"Is she always like this?"

The fairy inquires with a tilt of her jaw towards the Sheriff who trudges up ahead; wielding her sword to slash violently at any unfortunate wildlife in their path. Regina sighs, but adopts a small smirk; shaking her head as she catches a low, hissed expletive as it makes its way back to them.

"Oh, you don't know the _half_ of it..."

Rolling her eyes as she watches Emma sheath her sword and continue on with her arms moodily folded across her chest, she adopts a less disdainful tone and turns to Tink with a shrug.

"She doesn't like being caught out... The fact that we can't find camp is neither something she wants to admit nor acknowledge, as she has already decided to shoulder the blame... As you can see, she's taking it _fabulously_ well."

A sharp crack as the blonde raises a fist and breaks through a low-hanging fork of twigs unnecessarily. The Fairy sighs; pulling a flask out of the fraying satchel she shoulders and offering it to the brunette.

"Just water, Regina, I assure you... And it's not your friend; it's the island. Places and people have a way of getting lost out here... That map she keeps muttering down at isn't going to help her find the rest of your camp..."

"Yes, I'd figured it was either that, or Miss Swan just being entirely useless... Either option seemed viable... Still, if you feel you want to tell her to stop doing something- _anything_ \- with little point, then be my guest."

"She's _your_ friend!"

"She's not my _friend,_ she's my... Emma. She's Emma... And telling her to desist with a doomed endeavour would be nothing but a waste of breath."

Regardless, the Queen takes the flask from her peculiar companion and quickens her pace to fall into step beside the Sheriff; sighing when the blonde pays her no notice.

"Tink says the map won't help and that we should wait until nightfall to use the stars..."

"Mmm."

"... But then, what would _she_ know? She's only lived on the island for several years..."

"Hm."

"And why _would_ we try something other than storming through thickets and forest when it's _clearly_ going so well?"

"Are you done?"

"Are _you_?!"

"Camp was less than a mile away; we must have just taken a wrong turn somewhere."

"My dear, I believe we've taken all the turns _available_ to us at this point... What do we have to lose by listening to a viable guide, when the stars will be out in a matter of hours?"

"It's dark right _now_! This whole _shit-hole_ is dark! And not a goddamn star in sight!"

"Your observational skills are truly impeccable, Miss Swan, but I doubt your ex whittled a series of holes into a coconut for the pure joy of it..."

A low growl at this which the brunette fails to decipher, but she doubts she's missing much. Paying the younger woman's glowering little mind, she holds out the canteen that sloshes with water and rolls her eyes when Emma ignores her offering.

"Just take it; I'm sure you can manage drinking and moodiness at the same time given your expertise in both areas."

"I'm not in a mood!"

"Punching shrubbery is just a general past time then, is it, dear?"

"It was in the way..."

"Perhaps if you gained several hundred pounds and a couple of inches."

"Shut up."

Regina frowns, but doesn't rise to the bait, and after a couple more seconds of irritable stomping, the blonde takes the flask from her with a defeated sigh. She wrinkles her nose at the flat taste of the water it yields.

"You know, I think Hook had the right idea; at least rum doesn't go stagnant."

"I'm not sure _anything_ involving Hook and rum is a good idea, especially where _you're_ concerned."

The Queen sniffs, and the Sheriff turns to her with a scowl.

"What does _that_ mean?"

"That- while you seem to _strive_ to irk me- you are not _completely_ moronic, and I carry more faith in _your_ judgement than the Pirate's... Add a little liquor though, and who knows... I'd rather you save the culmination of the tension between the two of you until _after_ we find my son though, if it's all the same to you."

"Tension? There's no _tension_ -"

"-Oh, please; if the looks that man gave you were any _more_ heated you'd be-"

"-They're not _heated_! We-"

"-And as for what happened below deck before you two came rushing up when the mermaids struck, I'd really rather not even _begin_ to-"

"-He was giving me his sword!"

"... You'll have to forgive me; I'm lacking in fluency of your generation's euphemisms..."

This garners her an ill-hidden snort of laughter, before the Sheriff regards her caustically.

"You have it _so_ wrong, Regina..."

"Just make sure you're at least out of earshot of the camp, Sheriff."

Smirking as this receives an irritable scowl and low muttering, Regina drops the matter as she catches Neal's name murmured under the younger woman's breath. Pursing her lips a little uncomfortably, she offers momentary silence in place of an apology; supposing her jesting at the blonde's expense may be a little too snide given her son's father's recent death. She is glad when Emma opts for a new subject, and smirks once more at the blonde's childishly surly tone.

"Tell you one thing, though; the next time we end up taking a trip to another land, _I'm_ packing the bag... Soap and snacks; that's what this place needs."

"Your mo- Mary Margaret packed one, or so I thought?"

"She packed sweaters and a first aid kit."

"... Well, both seem like sensible-"

"-She'd have had room for a packet of wet wipes and some chips if she'd loosened the _straps_ a little."

"Ah... Clearly a novice; putting her grandson before salted junk food."

Emma glares at her, and the brunette shrugs; fully aware that if not for the intermittent time trying to find a way to get to Neverland allowing them a chance to grab a few things from home, the blonde would have made the journey without a scrap of clothing on her back in order to get to their son, just as she would herself.

She blushes lightly at this obscure thought, and pushes it away abruptly.

"You know I didn't mean-... Whatever..."

"I realise Henry comes before your stomach, dear, even if only just. I was merely joking."

"Huh... Didn't know you did that."

"A rarity, Sheriff, I can assure you."

"Lucky me."

Dark eyes flash irritably at the low rasp of sarcasm that laces the younger woman's words, while cool green glitters impishly. Turning to offer the Queen a wry grin- negating to dwell on the fact that, once again, Regina has served to make her feel a little more at ease as they tease one another snidely- she adopts a frown as she looks the older woman up and down critically.

"How the hell do _you_ still look so immaculate, anyway? You didn't even _bring_ anything!"

Offering up a theatrical sigh to hide the fact that Emma's words have her feeling really rather smug, the brunette plucks a tube of lipstick from her jacket and holds it up in her palm for the blonde to see.

"A happy accident, dear. Other than that, I've merely refrained from traipsing quite so carelessly through the undergrowth, nor did I deem it a good idea to take a dip in the ocean so that my parents would pay attention to me."

"You were all going fucking nuts! I _had_ to do that! I was trying to help!"

"Ah yes, _that_ must have been what that feeling was when looking down at the _idiot_ who jumped from a wrecking ship, only to be hit round the back of the head by flying debris and put us all in danger when then having to rescue her; _gratitude_."

"You know what? Bite me, Regina."

"I think not; I don't know _where_ you've been."

Rolling her eyes, Emma throws a glance behind them at the fairy that has her own sharp gaze cast up at the slow blossoming stars, before turning back the brunette and dropping their bickering 'two-man show' act.

"So what _did_ happen between you two, anyway?"

"...I cost Tink her wings... Not through malice, mind... Not _everything_ in my past was interwoven with evil-"

"-Never said it _was_."

"Yes... Well... When I was forced to live within Snow's castle and play wife to her father, I suffered from a deep depression brought on by this fact. As a fairy, Tinkerbell was able to hone in on my unhappiness and seek me out. She offered me a better life... A 'chance', if you will... To do this, she acquired some fairy dust, but she was wrong to do so, and when her quest to aid me failed- when I refused her help- she was stripped of her wings and of her power... What you see now is what's left."

Peering back once more to study the oblivious young woman that stalks in their wake, Emma raises an eyebrow and offers lightly

"She looks okay to me."

"I meant her _temperament_ not her aesthetics-"

Regina hisses irritably

"-I was referring to the fact that she deemed it fit to _drug_ me and _bind_ me."

"Oh... So... How come you refused her help? What was she-"

"- _Honestly_ , Miss Swan, must you make _everything_ your personal business?"

"... If I _hadn't_ made this my business, you could have had your _heart_ crushed..."

"You saw for yourself she lacked the will to actually go _through_ with such a thing."

"Fine... But you'd still be bound up and at her mercy."

Emma gripes; in no way looking for an overt display of gratitude from the darker woman, but a little perturbed to have recent events _entirely_ ignored. Catching the small note of offence shadowing the Sheriff's tone, Regina sighs and elaborates wearily.

"...She offered me a chance at True Love..."

"She did? You mean... You and her?"

"What?! _No!_ Of _course_ not!"

The Queen snaps; her cheeks rouging delicately as she is caught off guard by the insinuation. The blonde simply shrugs, and the Mayor gathers herself and continues a little distractedly

"No. There was a man with a tattoo on his wrist that was supposedly my destined soul mate. She led me to him."

"...Huh..."

"What's that supposed to mean? What's 'huh'?"

Regina inquires; disgruntled by the small smile that graces pale lips.

"You just don't strike me as someone that'd run with people with body art."

"Says the woman with a poorly executed flower out for all to see..."

"Hmm, I was unaware _I_ was your type?"

Emma jokes dryly, and the brunette purses her lips as she reiterates her wording and mutters disdainfully that- unlike the blonde- she isn't one to _involve_ herself with all those in her social circle.

She supposes it's a sign of the times when all this garners her is a low 'oh, please' as the Sheriff attempts to work her fingers through the tangles in her childishly long hair.

"Yes, well... Much like _another_ irksome young woman I know... She meddled where it wasn't appreciated."

"You didn't like him?"

"... I didn't go after him."

"Oh... How come?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm thinking of changing the name of this fic to 'Swan Queen; a series of inane, erotically charged conversations' for lack of any actual plot. Things are sufficiently shitty at the moment, so this will either mean many updates or very few- at the moment it's looking like many. If I disappear though, fear not, I will be back when things get sorted. I hope you enjoy this instalment, and it always makes my day to receive reviews, so, uh... You know... *hint hint* :)

_"... I didn't go after him."_

_"Oh... How come?"_

Regina sighs, offering Emma a perturbed glance and theatrical shake of her head.

"Honestly, dear, for one so stoic and reserved, you're rather inquisitive when it comes to the affairs of others."

The blonde shrugs, taking another sip from the canteen and showing her tongue in distaste, before continuing on in a tone that begs for truce from the Queen's sultry glower.

"I'm not about to _beat_ it out of you, I just... I mean, what _else_ are we going to talk about? I'm just curious is all, it's not like I'm going to hold it against you... I have a feeling that out of the two of us, my own romantic escapades- to use the _loosest_ form of the term- are probably quite a bit more questionable, and as you just said yourself; I'm not really one to _gossip_... That said, I will repeat my former lament that I'm going to have to wash down your tragic tale with stale water."

Offering her feet a begrudging smirk, the Mayor tosses her hair back and shoots Emma a cruel grin.

"Alas, you are stuck with a Queen and not your Pirate."

"He's not _my_ Pirate... Though, right now I know who I'd _rather_ be stuck with..."

The blonde mutters moodily, and Regina plucks the canteen from slender fingers and takes a sip for herself.

"Mmm... Much less taxing a conversation with Hook I imagine, paired with the occasional groping. I do apologise for the disappointment you must be feeling at this very moment."

"Quit stalling, Madame Mayor... And anyway; _you_ should be so lucky."

Regina sniffs irritably in response.

"Really, dear? To be _perfectly_ honest, I've spent the last couple of days trying to figure out what on _earth_ he sees in you."

"Want to cop a feel and find out?"

The Sheriff growls caustically; sharp teeth flashing dangerously, and the older woman chuckles with dark amusement before handing back the flask.

"I'd really- _really_ \- rather not."

Emma rolls her eyes and kicks at a litter of small pebbles that crest a sharp turn to the right. Taking a swig from the canteen in her hand, she raises an eyebrow and looks to Regina with perplexed astonishment. The brunette shrugs as though bored, and chides airily

"I was growing bored of your childish whining."

Smirking, Emma takes a deeper sip, her voice husky with liquor when she continues.

"I should complain to you more often..."

"Oh, you _more_ than fulfil your quota, Miss Swan, and besides, I am the Mayor; seeing to the needs of the people is what I do."

"...Riiiiight..."

"You know, I can _just_ as easily change your newfound spoils _back_ , dear... And I'm not just bound to water..."

The darker woman warns irritably; her mood in no way lightening when the blonde flashes her an impish grin.

"Oh, cool your shit... We both know you're trying to get me drunk."

Emma winks, and the Mayor sniffs and pinches the bridge of her nose- as if suffering a sudden migraine- in agitation. She has spent enough time since the breaking of the curse in the company of the blonde to know that- despite her casual anger at the very _existence_ of the world and all those whom inhabit it- Emma's ways and sentiments can be queerly playful in a disconcertingly flirtatious manner. It is a phenomenon that had first caught her attention whilst trying to drown out the inane chatter of the Sheriff and the Waitress- impatiently perched on a stool in the Diner waiting for Henry to finish school- to find that the sheer depravity and ludicrously crass insinuations infiltrating her personal space had rendered such a task impossible.

Indeed, she had escaped crude, luminescent lighting ten minutes later with an uncharacteristic blush blooming at her cheeks and several unwarranted- _and unwanted_ \- images in her head.

Deciding on the course of action she has found suits both of them best when dealing with Emma, she simply ignores her until a fresh topic of conversation is proposed.

Well... Recurrent in this case.

"So go on then... What happened with your lion guy?"

"Firstly, he is not my 'lion guy' and, as I have _already_ told you; nothing."

"You weren't curious?"

"... Apprehensive is perhaps a better term, and such a tone of disbelief is rather unjust from a woman whom I imagine has spent her life scoffing at the very _idea_ of any romantic relations not born from liquor, itchy pants and boredom..."

"Itchy pants?!"

The younger woman laughs huskily, and the brunette sighs; wondering- once again- why it should be that she _continually_ finds herself in the company of idiots.

"Sexually frustrated."

"Ah, I see, what a _delightful_ insight on my life... But it's a fair question, Regina... Don't get me wrong, I've never sat curled up in front of the TV weeping with joy as some dimwitted young woman and her dude get it on in the rain... But... Well, it's turned out that True Love is...Well, it's an actual _thing_!... After everything that's happened since coming to Storybrooke, I understand _that_ much... So, yeah! I think _curious_ is perfectly applicable.. _. I_ would be _curious_ if someone told _me_ they could show me or take me to my 'True Love'."

Emma shrugs; offering her curiously in-diminishing canteen to the Mayor, who shakes her head with theatrical disdain.

"I don't do rum."

"Suit yourself... So...?"

"I was _apprehensive_ , not curious... Well... Maybe a _little_... But it was also a case of simply wanting to believe that there could be more to my existence than living in that hateful castle with that old man and his insipid daughter."

She pauses; waiting for Emma to give an indignant cry as such words are used to describe her mother, but the blonde simply murmurs

"I can buy that..."

Raising an eyebrow, Regina glances at her companion, before scoffing irritably

"What would _you_ know on the matter?"

"On that _particular_ matter? Nothing. But what would _you_ know about what _I_ know about... I'm taking your side, and you can take it or leave it... Now carry on with your story."

Pursing her lips thoughtfully, the Queen sighs, before continuing slowly.

"Whatever my feelings on the matter were... I allowed her to bring me to him..."

She shoots a glance back at Tink, but the fairy remains preoccupied with mapping the stars, and she imagines such a reprieve from Emma's immediate hostility will be entirely welcome. Smirking, she sneaks a sly look at the young woman in question and surprises herself as her resultant reaction borders dangerously on bemused affection.

_No._

_Not affection._

She supposes she's just grown used to the Sheriff's ways, and given the unpredictability of their ongoing circumstances; a little touch of normality doesn't go amiss.

"Did you guys talk?"

Emma asks through a mouthful of rum; her own thoughts lingering on the possibility that if the Mayor can conjure liquor, she may also be able to manage a couple of pancakes.

"No... I never even saw his face..."

"Oh?"

"She led me to a tavern... I saw him... The back of him... And I just... I couldn't do it."

"Well... It's a big thing..."

The blonde offers cautiously, and the Mayor frowns; such a unbiased response not one she had been expecting.

"It is..."

"I mean... It's one thing to be told your happiness is out there _somewhere_... It's a whole other thing to _accept_ it."

"... Love?"

" _Happiness_."


	7. Chapter 7

Following Emma's rather uncharacteristic- at least in Regina's eyes- insight on her situation born from the fear- yes, she supposes it had been fear, though she would never admit to such a thing by this term out loud- of following through with the fairy's promise of happiness, the brunette lapses into moody silence.

Something which goes unopposed by the Sheriff, who stalks quietly beside her, nursing the canteen.

The Queen sighs; the topic having put her in a somewhat foul mood, and yet a little curious as to how the blonde has come by her sudden wisdom. Dark eyes flickering as Emma unsheathes her sword and whacks away some of the low hanging vines that impede their way, she chuckles lightly at the clear enjoyment the younger woman garners from the activity.

"I must say, I would never have taken you for the _violent_ type, dear..."

She smirks when the Sheriff glances back at her in surprise, and the blonde rolls her eyes when she confirms the Mayor's words for sarcasm.

"Fine, get hit in the face if you'd rather."

"I'd rather not... So, go on..."

"'Go on' what?"

"Well, _you_ instigated this idle chatter; it's your turn. I believe you were telling me how your own liquored trysts have been rather less savoury than mine..."

Arched brows raise in surprise at the catty flair to the brunette's tone, before Emma smirks and plays along; after all, she supposes the darker woman's decidedly amiable gesture of swapping water for rum warrants at least _some_ form of retribution from her side.

"Well, let's see... What would you like to know about? Edible underwear? Threesomes? That pesky little sex tape?"

Sienna coals widen in the darkness as Regina gives the blonde a run for her money; her brows almost disappearing into her hairline.

"I-I-... You what!? You're-"

"-Totally messing with you, Madame Mayor."

"I see."

"Sorry, when I said that before, I had meant more just that fairytale sex and city sex probably differ in more ways than just the use of contraception. I mean, I _could_ run you through a list of acts of sexual deviance in a sequential order, but, I mean, do you _really_ want to know why I'm not allowed back inside two separate Wendys' establishments?"

"... I don't even know who Wendy _is_ , and I'd imagine not, dear."

Nodding, the Sheriff offers a mischievous smile as she tips the rum back with practiced finesse; a rather unfortunate move on her part, as it is at this moment that the brunette's eye-rolling turns into a frown and she enquires

"What on earth is a sex 'tape'?"

Spluttering, Emma struggles to swallow her mouthful, before throwing a scolding look towards the Mayor who simply purses her lips in response.

"Uh... Like a video tape."

"A video tape?"

"Right, of you having sex."

" _Me having_ -"

"-Well, not _you_! Not to _my_ knowledge anyway, Madame Mayor... No, as in people film themselves, you know, doing it."

"For what purpose?"

"Shit, _I_ don't know... Why does anybody do _anything_?"

"So why did you decide to do it then? If-"

"-I was winding you up!"

"So you _haven't_ made one then? One of these, hmm, 'sex tapes'?"

"No!"

The blonde cries incredulously, and the darker woman chuckles cruelly before calling the Sheriff's earlier bluff.

"Calm down, I was, how did you put it? 'Messing with you', dear."

A furious glower, but the Queen pays this little mind; enjoying the ease with which she is able to rile the younger woman up, much like always.

She negates to acknowledge the heat their chosen topic has brought to her cheeks; supposing crass company breeds crass conversation.

Boring of pretending to be insulted, Emma looks back over her shoulder and sighs.

"I never _got_ Tinkerbell."

"Got her how?"

"She just seemed like a bit of a lame character... In the _movies_ I mean."

The blonde hastens to add with a blush; they have already covered the Queen's irritation at being referred to as a 'character' on numerous occasions; most recently during a very rare trip on the Mayor's part- but then, her reasoning had been purely business- down to the Rabbit Hole to find the Sheriff happily inebriated and of the loud opinion that she'd always preferred Malificent.

A brisk tap on the shoulder, and the sweetly proposed question of what the blonde might make of dragons hidden beneath libraries had both shut the younger woman up, and very nearly sent her falling off her stool. Whether surprised at being prodded, or simply the unlikely presence of the woman to whom the guilty finger had belonged to, Regina can't say for sure.

"Yes... Well... In the 'movies', your boyfriend resembles an aristocratic, moustachioed buffoon, so-"

"-Will you give that a rest? I mean _really_... And anyway, in the newer version, you're pretty pervy and bathe in _milk,_ so there you have it."

"...Does wonders for the skin, dear."

Regina smirks, and the Sheriff has a hard time refraining from joining her.

"Oh well, I guess Tinkerbell's still preferable to Rapunzel."

The blonde mutters, and the darker woman raises her brow; finding Emma's take on things to be rather amusing when not directed towards herself of those playing a part in her upbringing.

"For any _particular_ reason, or just mere jealousy?"

The brunette quips, offering the younger woman's unusually long hair a pointed look which sends green eyes rolling irritably.

"I think I can keep my envy at bay; dragging behind matted tangles in this shithole doesn't sound like a good time, anyway."

"Yes, I can see why having had to do so would put you off wanting it any longer."

A look of disdain.

A smirk in return.

Emma sighs.

"No, my _issue_ is that if her hair was goddamn long enough to toss out the window and allow some prince to climb his way up and save her, _surely_ it was also long enough to tie to something heavy in the room she was locked in and lower herself down... No waiting around or man required."

"...This is a recurring, deep-seated emotional problem for you, isn't it, dear? Men?"

The teasing quality to Regina's tone has the younger woman narrowing her eyes and proffering her companion a withering look, before replying smartly

"Yeah? Well your last one didn't seem to mind..."

Sighing, the brunette raises her palms in a weary show of truce; putting an end to their familiar bickering before pinching and hair pulling can ensue.

Up above them, the night sky has finally completed its shimmering tapestry.

From behind the others, the fairy casts her gaze down from the stars and studies the two women that stalk ahead thoughtfully. She can catch nothing but the odd word of what either of them says, but the murmuring of voices is both constant and melodic in a queerly companionable way.

Frowning, Tinkerbell hones her attention in on the retreating form of the Queen; watching for signs of foul play or malicious intent, but, when the woman in question raises her hand in a way that might seem threatening when familiar with her ominous power, she simply sends a bristling thicket of thorns that crosses their path up ahead flickering suddenly ablaze with a curious purple fire that dissipates to nothing after only a couple of seconds. The blonde's shoulders shudder tellingly, and the younger woman leans slightly in towards the brunette and drawls something which has the latter following suit.

Raising her voice, the fairy calls for the attention of the peculiar couple that precede her, and she points over to a fallen tree when she receives it.

"The stars are out, we should be able to use them now. I need to stop for a while to put their information to use... Could I take a look at your map?"

She holds her hand out to Emma, who regards the proffered appendage thoughtfully, before moving to comply.

Taking the crumpled paper with an irritable murmur of thanks- the Sheriff's sudden stoic attitude not lost on the fairy- Tink perches down upon rugged bark and consults the sky once more.

Licking rum from her lips pensively, Emma eventually saunters over to point at a small shaded patch on the parchment.

"We camped there... I think. Well, no, I _know_ we did... It's just it won't stay still on the page... I know that sounds-"

"-It sounds like you were given this map by Pan."

"... Yeah."

"As I was telling Regina, the island has a way of messing with you. The stars are true though, and they'll lead us to where we need to be... You camped by the caverns?"

"Yes... Uh, there was a big cave we needed to open to enter, and then there's a bunch of smaller places in a little cove... If you... If you've been here a while, then maybe you'll know it. A boy called Neal once camped out in the caves nearby where we set up our things..."

"... The name doesn't ring any bells, no."

Tink frowns; visually assessing Emma's age, and- providing that what her guise reveals is factual- imagining she herself would already have inhabited this hateful island for quite some time before the blonde was even conceived. She supposes this 'Neal' the Queen's friend (but not friend!) speaks of could be many years her elder and thus before the fairy's time in Neverland, but it would be curious that Emma would know of anyone here without having met them...

_An older brother, perhaps?_

No... Legend of the curse had reached even these far shores, and, in knowing the blonde's name now, she knows of her lineage also.

No, she must simply be mistaken; as even if Pan _had_ taken the boy before recruiting the fairy, he would still be here...

Pan's boys do not age... Some die, yes, but not many, and she is familiar with the names carved into the rock on the North shore. No 'Neal's, and Pan's boys do not leave...

Well. Almost all of them.

"You must be mistaken."

"You think I'm _lying_ to you!?"

Instantly aggressive, and the fairy clenches her jaw in order to refrain from offering insight on this aggravating little personality flaw that she imagines the woman Regina brought here might not wish to hear. Pulling herself under control, she opens her mouth to inform the blonde that this is in _no_ way what she had said, when the brunette speaks up from her rather arrogant stance away from the collected mulch at their feet.

"Neal wasn't here, Emma."

"What?"

The Sheriff whirls round to regard her incredulously, and the darker woman shrugs; her tone when she continues patronisingly patient in a way that suggests such things should be painfully obvious.

"I don't know when or where 'Neal' originated... But _here_ he would have been Baelfire, Miss Swan."

"Baelfire?!"

Tinkerbell repeats; openly astonished.

"You knew Baelfire?"

Emma asks; suddenly a little less hostile in favour of guarded curiosity.

"Of course... I... He was a boy here. A _good_ boy... You two know him?"

Regina thins her lips a little awkwardly- murmuring that she would call him an acquaintance through blood at best- before nodding to the Sheriff in a way that suggests she thinks Emma should take this one. Looking back to the fairy, the younger woman sighs, before nodding in the affirmative and explaining

"He's my son's... He's Henry's father."

"Oh!"

Tink offers, looking the blonde up and down with fresh interest that has the latter bristling and closing off instantly. The fairy takes little offence- perceiving this behaviour as a simple personality trait rather than purposeful rudeness- and supposes she has greater faith in Baelfire's judge of character than Regina's. Adopting a slightly friendlier tone, she enquires conversationally

"How strange. How is he?"

"Dead."

The blonde offers in return, and Tink swallows; imagining she might have a fair way to go with this one before she loosens up around her. Looking to Regina awkwardly, the brunette sighs, and points to the map.

"I think you'd better get to work on those stars, dear..."


	8. Chapter 8

_"I think you'd better get to work on those stars, dear..."_

Nodding in response, Tink looks back up at the shimmering galaxy above them pensively, murmuring quietly to the brunette as Emma stalks off a little ahead of them; dragging her boots moodily through the mulch that litters the ground.

"Rather prickly, your friend, isn't she?"

"She's not my... She's... You get used to it. She can be alright once she gets to know you."

"Hmmm..."

"... What?"

"You like her."

"I _beg_ your pardon?"

"You heard me well enough. Why the offence?"

"I'm not _offended_ , I just-"

"-You could have fooled me. It doesn't matter, anyway. I was merely musing out loud."

The fairy mutters dismissively, dropping her attention back down at the yellowed parchment in her hands shrewdly. Watching this curious study with a frown, Regina glances over at the Sheriff thoughtfully, before running a hand through her hair and lowering her guard just a little.

"It's complicated. After all, I can't even _begin_ to entertain the possibility of forming much more than an alliance of necessity with any _one_ of the Charmings... And there's a little too much history between Emma and I for any sort of friendship to come about."

"Okay, so you're not 'friends'. That doesn't mean you don't like her... She made you laugh."

"Well, the woman is ridiculous, I-"

"-No."

"No? How would _you_ know?"

"I wouldn't. And I don't. But she came looking for you, and from the look on your face when she _found_ you, you hadn't been expecting her too. She surprised you... And you're glad."

"... Either tell me something to do with that map, or bite your tongue..."

The darker woman growls, and the blonde shrugs. Pointing to a wide turn through a vine-laden valley, she pushes herself to her feet and folds Pan's little trick carelessly in half.

"That way... And there's nothing _wrong_ with letting people in. You couldn't allow yourself to be happy with your True Love. At least allow yourself to appreciate the offer of camaraderie, however obscure..."

Pursing her lips, and offering this last piece of advice a length of irritable silence, the Queen merely waits for the fairy to begin on her way and follows behind, shooting the occasional pensive glance at Emma who hangs back surreptitiously to fall into step at her side.

* * *

As it is, it takes them only a short while to find camp with Tinkerbell leading the way, and their return is met with the raising of swords and arrows before Snow lets out a low cry and runs towards the blonde, only to berate her irritably.

"Where have you _been_!? We've been worried sick!"

"Speak for yourself, love."

The pirate growls, grinning at Emma when she glares at him caustically.

"I _told_ you, I wanted to find Regina."

The brunette furrows her brow at this, before interrupting airily

"And I see your parents are simply _thrilled_ at my safe return."

Charming shoots her a warning glance, but Emma merely shrugs, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans and muttering beneath her breath that the Mayor should shut the hell up.

"... And who's this?"

Snow prompts, regarding their newcomer curiously, only for Hook to cut in gruffly

"Tink."

"... Hook."

The fairy nods stiffly, and the Sheriff glances from one to the other with a frown.

"You two know each other? Like, for _real_?"

"Business acquaintances... Long story... Many years ago."

The pirate offers, and Tink sniffs irritably at the rather unsavoury memory. Breaking up the dull sense of awkwardness cast over their small group, the raven-headed woman extends a hand in greeting and introduces herself and her husband, listening amiably to the fairy's brief explanation of how she came to accompany the other two. She leaves out the happenings in the cave, and, while Regina and Emma exchange a brief glance, neither woman interrupts with the truth.

Nodding, and expressing her gratitude that the young stranger has seen it fit to help them in their quest, Mary Margaret ushers her over to the remains of their fire with an apology for their lack of provisions. Shaking her head, Tink pulls several small bundles from her satchel and unwraps their edible offerings one by one, before offering them round.

She finds that- even in the short time that they have known each other- she is unsurprised when Emma ignores her offering in favour of taking up a seat a little way away from their small huddle with a dismissive shake of her head.

Catching the bemused look such hostility derives from the fairy, Charming offers a knowing smile and breaks off a chunk of hardened bread thoughtfully.

"She'll warm up to you. And she'll eat if she's hungry."

"You're Henry's grandparents?"

"We are."

Snow smiles, ignoring the perturbed rolling of dark coals from her right. Elaborating slightly, and exclaiming in intrigue when Tink mentions her previous friendship with Bae, the schoolteacher chatters warmly as the brunette sighs and chews her mouthful of rye with distaste. Pushing herself up onto her knees from the worn mat on which she had primly settled down, Regina decides to opt for the lesser of two evils; meaning to walk over to take a seat beside the blonde, before the pirate rises to his feet and beats her to it.

Sighing, she simply tunes out the idle chatter and stares into the dying embers of the fire, wondering how much longer she is going to have to endure the torment of not knowing what has become of her son.

Their son.

As if on cue, the blonde raises her voice irritably in response to something the pirate says and asks him how he _imagines_ she might feel with the young boy missing.

The anxiety in her tone matches the brunette's inner turmoil perfectly, and Regina pushes herself up and stalks towards the narrow canopy covering the poor excuse of her bed without a word.

After all, she doubts the others have much interest in where she might be wandering off to; not a word having been said to her by any of them following her return.

* * *

Rolling over stiffly and cursing the discomfort of the hard forest floor, Regina frowns and tries to rearrange chilled limbs to find any fleeting form of comfort. Failing, she opens her eyes wearily, despite the darkness that seems to perpetually cloak the island deeming the act pointless if her aim is to attempt to deduce the time.

Darkness.

The final sanguine glow of the fire dim and unimportant in the dank stillness of their surroundings.

Surveying the clearing sleepily, she frowns as she studies the far corner, before pushing herself up onto her elbow and pursing her lips.

Climbing stiffly out from the meagre warmth of her throw, she stalks over to the rocks at the furthest point of the clearing with her arms crossed tightly around her shivering frame.

Coming to a halt a couple of feet from where the Sheriff lies curled up under the flimsy scrap of her sweater, she raises an eyebrow pensively, before inquiring softly

"What are you doing?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Somehow, this might get sexy... If I can get them to stop bickering for five seconds... Suggestions welcome!

**A/N:** _Somehow, this might get sexy... If I can get them to stop bickering for five seconds... Suggestions welcome!_

* * *

_"What are you doing?"_

"... What do you mean?"

Emma mutters after a brief moment of frowning in silence. She doesn't open her eyes, but the brunette is able to tell instantly from the tone of her voice that she had been far from slumbering.

Not surprising given the drop in temperature.

"I mean... Why are you lying out here? What's wrong with your tent."

"...There's a fairy in it."

"... You... Why?"

Sighing, and rolling onto her back, the blonde opens her eyes to regard Regina lazily; the latter feeling peculiarly smug looking down on the younger woman lain out in the dirt beneath her.

"Why? Well, what was I _supposed_ to do? We packed for the _five_ of us... Hell knows where Gold's stuff's gone."

"But why did you offer _your_ bed?"

"Well, I'm sure Snow or David would have been only too _happy_ to help, but I'm not sure Tinkerbell would have appreciated spooning either one of my parents."

"... Possibly not. What about Hook? To call him a _gentleman_ would be rather elaborate, but as the _man_ of our merry bunch, he-"

"-oh no, he's a gentleman all right. For sure. He was _very_ quick to offer Tink his tent... Apparantly he and I could just share and it'd be no problem... Funny, given as the two of _them_ seem to have spent some quality time together before..."

Regina sighs, crossing her arms over her chest impatiently, but she is unable to resist a smirk as she looks down at the Sheriff.

"I'm not sure whether to show more disdain towards the pirate's offering, or your own hard feelings about his having had a previous relationship with Tink."

"You think I give two shits about who Hook's been fucking?"

"... I think your childish defensiveness is only too telling."

The Mayor grins, and the blonde rolls her eyes and turns away; tugging her sweater up close around her neck and pulling her knees in towards her chest in an attempt to keep warm.

"Good for you. Why don't you go sleep on that notion."

Shaking her head, the darker woman moves to perch lightly on one of the rocks nearby, regarding golden curls spilling out over packed dirt pensively.

"...Looks like it's going to rain."

"Mmm."

Sighing, Regina glances back towards her own raggedy canopy before suggesting lightly

"I believe if I moved my things a little, there might be room for the two of us beneath my-"

"-I'm fine."

The blonde growls, and the Queen sniffs irritably.

"If it rains, you'll get wet. If you get wet, you'll get sick. If you get sick, not only will your parents threaten to send me surely _insane,_ but you're also the next best hand in combat after myself, and in case you'd forgotten, we're here to get our _son_ back..."

"... _Next_ best?"

The Sheriff murmurs, and Regina detects a faint note of humour in her tone.

"Unfortunately. It's slim-pickings, Miss Swan, but yes, I would prefer to have _you_ by my side over the Hand-less Wonder, an out-of-practice archer, and your father waving his sword around here there and everywhere."

Emma chuckles lightly, and the brunette frowns as she finds her own lips curving into an indulgent smile; thinking back on the fairy's observation as to her liking for the blonde. Injecting her tone with a little more venom, she strives to keep up appearances.

"However, if you wish to sulk out here like a petulant _child_ , then be it on your own head. No one's fooling themselves into thinking that you're one to enjoy making _friends_ , but this reaction is a little _excessive_ if it's simply because not all attention is currently on _you_."

"... Go back to bed, Regina."

The younger woman snaps, and the Queen sighs as she understands she has failed at toeing that ever precarious line of bickering and being snide for the sake of it. She supposes a small part of her irritation is directed towards the very fact that spying Emma curled up away from camp had caused her a small amount of concern and confusion. She has yet to fully forgive the blonde for coming to her rescue earlier in the day and upsetting the delicate balance of their relationship, and this new pattern of chewing each other out only to bite just that little bit too viciously is tiresome to say the least.

"Fine."

She sniffs dismissively, and stalks stiffly back towards her collection of blankets.

Rolling onto her back and staring up at dark canvas of the canopy strewn above her, she purses her lips as thunder sounds deeply overhead. Sighing irritably, she counts to seven before the ominous rumbling is followed by the heavy patter of rain.

"Idiot."

She hisses, before catching the telling pad of footsteps coming slowly closer. She closes her eyes and remains still; listening to the uncertain pattern of the Sheriff's boots on the quick-dampening dirt of the forest floor.

She doesn't open her eyes, but she knows the younger woman will have her lip caught between her teeth and her hands shoved sheepishly into her pockets.

"...Regina..."

Feigning sleep, she doesn't react, simply remaining with her eyes closed and keeping her breathing light and even.

"... Look... I'm sorry I... I mean... It wasn't _just_ me... You... Can I..."

Senseless murmuring and she ignores it in favour of her act.

She keeps her face serene as she catches the telling rustle of the Sheriff sitting herself down nervously to perch just beneath the lip of the canopy; able to sense the younger woman's light shivering as the latter sniffs quietly.

Cracking open her eyelids to peek through sooty lashes, she watches as the blonde lowers herself timidly down onto her side and lies down as close to the edge of the covered area as possible; her body rigid.

"...Was that so hard?"

"... Shut up."

"Rather bold for a woman who-"

"-I wasn't _sulking_."

"... Okay."

"I... After you went to bed, Mary Margaret and David were making small talk with Tink..."

"How _dreadful!_ "

"...People tend to make small talk about common interests and ground-"

"-and people say you're socially inept?!"

"... The common ground here is Baelfire... Neal..."

"Yes... I suppose that's true."

"... I just don't want to hear all these stories about Bae. I'm still... I'm still pissed he never told me them _himself_... I don't want to hear them from _her_..."

"... You miss him?"

"Yeah. But that's hardly anything new given how things went in the past... Guess the same could go for Henry you _might_ say-"

"-I wouldn't."

"Wouldn't what?"

"I wouldn't say that."

"What, you think I don't _miss_ him!? That I _didn't_ miss him when I-"

"-Of _course_ you do... That's not what I meant. I meant I wouldn't say _that_... _To_ you... I wouldn't say _that_ to you."

"...Oh... Y-you must be pretty shook up seeing Tink again, huh?"

"A swift change of subject? Very well, dear... Yes. It's a little odd as I have said _already_... Forgive me, my intention when stating my disinclination to scorn you over Henry's adoption was not to instigate an awkward back and forth of forced consolation."

"Good... That was all I had, anyway."

The blonde snaps sleepily, and the Mayor raises her brow as she opens her eyes to glance at heavy, tousled curls and smirks.

"That makes two of us."

"Will you shut up and go to sleep!?"

"... If that annoying noise to my left would desist, I should very much hope so."

A small outburst of air as the younger woman chuckles silently and closes her eyes.

Hesitating for just a second, the brunette lowers her own lashes as she extends her arm and pulls the itchy warmth of the blanket up and over to engulf the Sheriff in one, swift movement.

She ignores the latter's intake of breath and turns briskly away to face the back of the tent.

"Goodnight, Miss Swan."

"... Yeah... Night..."


	10. Chapter 10

_Serving up a steaming plateful of linguine, the Mayor calls from the kitchen for her son to come down and help himself to dinner. Frowning when such a request goes ignored, she tries once more; raising her voice as she drops her hands onto her hips._

_"Henry?"_

_She sighs, glancing down at the table with a frown, trying to deduce what looks wrong to her, before noting that she has only served up the one plate of food for the two of them. Scolding herself mentally for such an idiotic mistake, she stalks over to the cupboards to fetch a second. Opening up painted wood, she frowns._

_No more plates._

_Checking the other cupboards, her brow furrows deeper as the shelves sit bare- scrupulously clean, but bare- but for a single mug, a single glass, and a single bowl._

_Taking a step back and running her hand through her hair with a slick click as she swallows, she calls for the boy again; beginning to feel the first fingers of trepidation playing down her spine._

_"Henry?... Sweetheart?"_

_Nothing._

_Pulling off her apron and placing it over the back of her chair, she glances up swiftly as she suddenly notes that it's the only sentinel to her glass kitchen table._

_Thinning her lips, she makes her way out of the kitchen and hurries up the stairs._

_"Henry?!"_

_Almost running now, as she makes her way down the corridor towards her son's bedroom._

_Fingers trembling as she struggles to control her coordination and pull open the door, she succeeds with a cry and falls across the threshold with wide eyes._

_"No..."_

_Emptiness._

_The room sits bare- devoid of any furniture or decoration- the fading blue of the painted walls stark and barren, as heavy curtains billow softly in the breeze that flows through the gaping mouth of the window; panes open and eliciting a terrible scraping sound as they knock freely against the sides of the house._

_"What?..."_

_Breath coming out in panicked bursts, dark coals flicker around the damning emptiness, as cold sweat begins to roll down the Mayor's back._

_Faint imprints in the carpet create a blueprint of her son's missing possessions, and the wind carries just the last lingering traces of Johnson's shampoo._

_"Henry?!"_

_But she stills, suddenly aware that she isn't alone in the room after all._

_Willing herself to turn around- despite every fibre of her being begging her to desist with such foolishness- she opens her mouth to scream, before the Shadow swallows her whole._

"Ha!"

A short expulsion of air, as the Queen's eyes shoot open and she is met with the rolling murmur of thunder.

Letting out a shaky sigh as she confirms her recent horror to just be a trick of the mind, she gets herself slowly back under control and tries to calm herself down as she looks up at the dark canvas that plays her canopy.

"It was just a dream..."

She whispers, before turning onto her side and adopting a disconcerted frown.

Pale features loom little more than an inch away from her own; the Sheriff's breath tickling her nose distractingly. Becoming ever more self-aware, her brow furrows deeper as she realises the blonde's knees press warmly against her hip; Emma curled up beneath their shared blanket and nestled up against her in sleep.

She wrinkles her nose in distaste; studying uncharacteristically serene features with a scowl.

Such displeasure is little more than a front however, as secretly she finds a small sense of comfort in having another at her side following the ordeal of her nightmare.

She tells herself to simply ignore the fact that it's Emma.

Rolling over onto her side, she faces the back of the tent with a sigh; pursing her lips as the blonde compensates by nuzzling against her and pulling the covers higher up the both of them.

Ignoring the small battle of emotions the Sheriff's change in position threatens to garner, she closes her eyes resolutely, and drifts off into a mercifully dreamless sleep.

Pressed up into welcoming warmth, the younger woman frowns as her lids flicker with the telling signs of REM sleep.

Her fists ball beneath the covers, and she makes a small noise of disquiet.

_The waves roll in whitely, leaving large crests of scum over the dark sand._

_Emma watches them lick at Storybrooke's sorry excuse of a beach idly; playing with a loose thread at the cuff of her coat._

_It's cold, and a purple sky threatens thunder, but she'd said she'd be here, so here she is._

_Frowning, she realises with a vague sort of uneasiness that she can't entirely recall the conversation that brought her here when she tries to think upon it._

_Henry had been upset._

_Crying, she believes._

_But over what, she is suddenly finding it hard to remember._

_"Probably didn't say... Probably waiting to tell me in person."_

_Yes, that would_ seem _logical, only, she doesn't quite know what time it is, but she has the feeling that it's getting late._

_Nor is she entirely sure how long she's been sat here waiting._

_Warped wood creaks beneath her as the wind plays a new assault on the splintered remains of Henry's castle, and she wonders why she'd suggested they meet here..._ If _she suggested it... As, all qualms with the Mayor aside, the rotten planks she perches on don't seem entirely safe._

_"Where are you, kid?"_

_She murmurs, beginning to get a little agitated as a light mist of rain commences to drizzle down and settle frigidly into her hair._

_Pulling her knees up in front of herself as she balances on the edge of the castle wall, she hunches her shoulders against the cold, toying with the antenna of the walkie in her hand._

Wait, what?

 _Glancing down at the outdated hunk of plastic in her palm, she muses uncomfortably that she is almost_ positive _she hadn't brought the thing with her._

_Shaking such thoughts away as simple forgetfulness, she raises the walkie to her lips and depresses the transmission button._

_"...Henry? Are you there, kid?"_

_Static silence greets her in return, and she frowns, as that's not right._

_Not right at all._

_The aged device might be stuck in some strange sort of timewarp- much like the rest of the town- but the transmission is always clear if answered._

_And if not, there should be an irritating crackling coming from the speakers._

_Not silence._

_Not when she has her finger pressed down on the receiver._

_Swallowing nervously, she shakes the walkie roughly before trying again; scolding herself as her voice wavers a little higher than usual._

_"Henry?..."_

_No answer._

_At least, no_ vocal _answer, but she finds her heartbeat steadily increasing as she is sure she can make out an odd sort of bubbling noise coming from the other end of the line._

_Don't be ridiculous, you're just psyching yourself out._

_Maybe, but it sure doesn't_ sound _like she is._

_"Henry!"_

_Angry now, but her agitation simply serves as a facade for her nervousness, as she fidgets with the antenna with growing trepidation._

_Looking up above her, she finds herself bathed in moonlight as thunder rumbles up above._

_When did it get so late?_

_"... Henry... Please... If this is a game..."_

_But she knows it's not. The kid might get up to his fair share of mischief- he is_ her _blood after all- but a little impishness would never lead to him leaving her sat shivering in the dark with a storm brewing._

_"Hen-"_

_But she stills as ominous bubbling gives way to a series of clicks, and a voice greets her from the gadget clutched tightly in her hand._

_Henry finally answering her growing pleas for a response, but his tone is both his, and somehow not the kid's at all._

_"-The tide's coming in, Little Fawn, and before long you'll be swept under..."_

_"Stop it!... Henry!"_

_She yells into the receiver; cold with panic which only works to accentuate an underlying cloak of her fear._

_Little Fawn._

No one _here would call her that._

 _They wouldn't_ know _..._

 _No one_ anywhere _calls her that._

_Not since she was eight years old and sharing a room with three other girls at St Catherine's orphanage._

_Throwing the walkie away with a choked cry to land in the wet sand before her, she licks her lips nervously as she tries to quell her growing terror._

_Looking around in panic, her breath catches in her throat as her gaze falls upon something floating in the shallow waves that lick the shore._

_"... No."_

_But shaking her head in childish refusal to believe what she sees will do her no good, as she'd recognise those jeans and shirt anywhere._

_"Henry?!"_

_Jumping down from the castle with splinters digging cruelly into the vulnerable flesh of her palms, she sprints across the bare strip of sand with an agitated cry as the soft surface tries to slow her down._

_Splashing through the white froth that litters the shoreline, she wades anxiously into the water towards the lifeless bundle drifting along with the current._

_"Henry!"_

_The kid's name comes out choked with anguish, as she finally reaches the sea's terrible gift and clutches out to it with shaking hands._

_Turning stiff limbs over with her breath rasping in a way that would be painful if she still cared about such things, she prepares herself for what she already knows with a sob._

_What she sees curdles this beaten sound into a scream._

_The body has no face._

_Henry has no face._

_Only shadow_.

"Ah! You idiot!"

The brunette snarls as she is pulled swiftly from sleep by her bedmate kicking her violently in the shins.

Turning around incredulously to give the younger woman a piece of her mind, she is met with curiously distressed panting and flickering emotions playing across drawn features as the Sheriff thrashes beside her.

"Miss Swan!"

Shaking the younger woman with unnecessary roughness- payment for the throbbing ache in her shins- she lets out her own cry of surprise as Emma's eyes fly open and the blonde narrowly misses headbutting her as she sits up with dread emanating from shaking limbs.

"Regina?"

"Who else?"

The darker woman growls irritably, although she is unwillingly reminded of her own fear not half an hour ago.

"Oh, fuck, it was just a dream... Just a dream."

The blonde reiterates, as she sniffs and pulls a hand through the mess of her curls in a panicked fashion.

"It would seem so, so I would deem it a good idea to calm down."

Regina offers with a perturbed sniff of her own, but she moves to sit up beside the Sheriff as she finds she is now completely and utterly awake.

_And, I don't think I'll be getting back to sleep anytime soon._

"Yeah... Okay..."

Emma agrees, although the wideness of her eyes suggests this isn't going to be happening in the immediate future.

Frowning as the blonde's disturbance now brings her to the new realisation that it is not just _Emma_ that shivers uncontrollably, the Queen pulls the throw tighter to her slender frame and casts a dubious glance out towards the pounding rain.

When they had set up camp, she had selected a spot a little way away from the others; accepting that this trip was to be undertaken with an obscure group of allies, but not intent on _liking_ that fact.

As such, she now pays the price; the tents downwind sheltered by a jagged wall of rock, while her own sits at the mercy of the elements.

She hopes she is alone in noticing this fact, as she doesn't think smacking the Sheriff across the face for mentioning it will in any way better their situation.

As it is, Emma simply shivers, her breathing once more normal, but her flesh clammy as she joins the brunette in looking out at the charred remains of their campfire.

"Fuck me, it's colder than a witch's tit!"

"... _Excuse_ me?"

"Not yours specifically, it's just a saying..."

"...Are you sure?"

"Definitely. Kind of like 'quit using that disdainful tone with me, Your Majesty' is a saying, too. I believe it might be Irish-"

"-Sheriff, much as I enjoy your vapid musings, it's a little late- or perhaps early- so kindly desist and shut your mouth."

The Queen snaps, but not with as much venom as she might usually use. Their bickering might serve as a queer form of comfort, but there is a tension in the air that she doesn't miss.

Sniffing against the frigid chill of the island, she closes her eyes and casts a sound-cloaking spell over the tent; purple glimmers shimmering in the moonlight.

"What did you do?"

"A sound-shield, so that we don't wake the others. I'm hoping it will keep some of the wind out too."

"You can't just magic it warmer?"

"I'm rusty on the particulars, but I _could_ possibly cause you to spontaneously combust if I wished."

"Ah, that would be unfair. You would reap all the benefits."

"You'd be warm..."

"Smoking hot."

Emma offers with a weak grin, but her commitment to their little back and forth is rather lacking.

Trying to block out visions of empty rooms and dinner plates, the Mayor rolls her eyes with feigned haughtiness and frees her hands from the folds of the throw. Directing her palms towards the dirt before them, she ignites a small tongue of flame which flickers in the wind.

Raising a brow and edging a little closer to the fire, the blonde turns to Regina as the darker woman moves to sit beside her and holds out her hands in the search for warmth.

"So, a sound-cloaking spell, huh? I can think of _several_ times that might have been useful before..."

Offering the Sheriff a cold look, the brunette scolds her irritably

"Perhaps. But, perhaps I didn't presume that grown adults would stoop to spying on me for lack of anything better to do..."

"Are you referring to the time you and Cora went digging for the Dark One's dagger, or is this more about several of the fairly suspect conversations you've had with Gold?"

Emma teases, but the pallor of her dream still clings to her in a way she is unable to shake, and the brunette dismisses her sarcastic insinuations without a care.

Looking down into the flames, Regina speaks quietly.

"You had a nightmare..."

"Yeah... It was... It was a pretty bad one."

"I think it might be the island..."

"You had one too?"

"Indeed."

"Was it bad?"

"... No, Emma, I'm just rubbing it in your face, it was a delightful dream about the lollipop guild-"

"- _Okay_ , okay, that was a stupid question, you don't have to be a bitch about it."

"One gets weary of repetition."

"Huh?"

"You have a knack for them."

"What?"

"Stupid questions... Case in point."

"Oh, shut up."

The Sheriff grumbles, before sighing and opening up slightly; an effect Regina seems to have on her that she finds most disconcerting.

"Mine was about Henry..."

"... Mine too."

"It was pretty awful... I... I thought he was dead, but then... It wasn't him... But... It was still bad."

"He wasn't dead in mine... Just... Gone... Like h-he'd never really been there in the first p-place."

The brunette whispers; hating herself as salt taints her words, but unable to help it.

"...You know that's not true though, Regina..."

Emma offers uncomfortably; first in line to admit that she is about as talented in showing sympathy as a cactus.

Still, her mannerisms are characteristic, and the darker woman finds an odd sort of solace in the fact; never one to appreciate the cloying facade of pity shown by others anyway.

"Of _course_ I know that."

She snaps with practiced irritability, before sighing and allowing her shoulders to drop defeatedly.

"I miss him."

"Yeah, me too."

"No."

" _No_?!"

"You're worried about him... And maybe you're _starting_ to miss him. It's not the same. He's been living with you. He's there when you wake up and when you go to sleep... You took him from me."

She croaks spitefully, her lashes wet.

Frowning uncomfortably, the blonde speaks up tentatively.

"I didn't _take_ him from you, Regina... It.. It's..."

"Don't you _dare_ say complicated!"

The brunette warns angrily, and twin tears fall down her cheeks despite her best efforts to keep them at bay.

Nibbling her lip awkwardly as she stares nervously into the flames, Emma extends her arm shyly and places it around slim shoulders with an uncomfortable clearing of her throat.

"... What are you doing?"

"Regina... We _really_ need to talk."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Please review :)

_"Regina... We_ really _need to talk."_

The younger woman sighs solemnly, and the Queen purses her lips as she drops her attention irritably to where pale fingers rest against the soft wool covering her arm.

"There is little more I have to say on the subject... And I am even _less_ inclined to consider humouring you with you _pawing_ at me..."

An arrogant sniff, despite the fact that she understands as soon as these words leave her mouth that they are born more from a deep surprise that any but Henry might seek to offer her any form of physical comfort, rather than an actual _dislike_ for the practice.

In all honesty; the light weight of the Sheriff's arm around her shoulders is peculiarly pleasant... But she is given little opportunity to further analyse the situation as Emma retracts the offending appendage as though burnt.

"I was just... I-"

"-Well don't."

The Mayor snaps; readjusting her collar. Catching the defeated glower the blonde offers the flames, she rolls her eyes, before continuing icily.

"I fail to see how us discussing my loss of Henry will in any way _better_ our situation, Miss Swan... For now, you are the closest person I have to hand that I would consider an ally- however warped that particular notion may be- and I don't deem it to be _smart_ for us to skate over such thin ice..."

"Isn't that what we've been doing for _ages_ now, though? Don't you think, maybe, that you might just not see things the same way I do, and vice versa, and that it might actually be a _good_ idea to hash things out?"

"...That you and I see things _differently_ , I have no doubt, but-"

"-But _what,_ Regina? But what? I... I just want to sort things _out_ between us... I just don't want to go back and have it be the way it was..."

"Well, I'm _sorry_ , Sheriff, but we can't always _do_ things the way that suits _you_ , whatever history might have lulled you into believing."

"Oh, because everything before was to my liking?!"

" _Wasn't it_?! You had your son, your parents, the town in the palm of your hand... Explain to me how you were _still_ the victim in that scenario?"

Regina growls angrily; her teeth flashing as she glares down into smouldering coals. She may have voiced her disinclination to have this conversation, but now that she's let the first few comments slip from her tongue, she finds herself wrought with the black venom the younger woman has poisoned her with over the last year. That terrifying sense of diminishing control and years of hard work and sacrifice being pulled from beneath her feet as though the Sheriff were simply performing some crude sort of magic trick.

To her left, Emma seethes darkly as she bites her tongue viciously between her teeth before it can get her into the trouble she is so apt at landing herself in.

Closing her eyes, she tells herself to ignore the Queen's caustic words and focus instead on the choked remorse so recently shared...

_You took him from me..._

It is not something she is particularly _keen_ to discuss herself, but... That's what all of the festering loathing between the two of them truly stems from. Sure, there may be a facet to the brunette's hate that derives from all those years before, but at the heart of the matter, it's always been about Henry...

And, whatever she might make of the darker woman glowering beside her... The Sheriff doesn't want her to feel the sorrow that had laced those miserable words.

Certainly not anymore.

"I tried to do what I thought was _right_ , Regina... And sometimes, in doing so, I got it all horribly wrong. It was never on _purpose_ , though... Oh, some of the things I've said to you in order to bite back were spiteful, and I don't really care to look back at them now because they were occasionally pretty shitty... But... I never fucked up on _purpose_... And I _didn't_ take Henry from you-"

"-You _tried_ to! Twice!"

"Because both of those times I thought it was the right thing to do because of _several_ coinciding circumstances!... And, if you recall, I bowed out on both occasions... You didn't."

"So it's all _my_ fault, again!?"

"No... But it's not all _mine_ either. We can discuss my taking Henry to New York with Gold when the matter of the apple turnover is open for comment... We can discuss Henry living with me for the last month when you're ready to talk about the fact that you planned to murder us- my mom, my dad, me, the town- and simply wipe all memory of us from the kid's mind...We _both_ fucked up, Regina, but I wasn't proposing we make a list and tally up to see which of us sucks the _most_..."

"I should hope not... And, if your second example of my not accepting your _pitiful_ surrender was in reference to the diamond... _I_ wasn't the one that set it off, if you would be so kind as to recall."

"... I know. "

"...I wasn't _relying_ on you coming to my rescue, Emma... My willingness to do what I did wasn't an act."

"I know that, too... Same as I know you weren't relying on me coming to find you today... But I did, so I guess you're stuck with me."

"Yes... Why _is_ that? Why do I _continue_ to suffer this most unsavoury burden?"

The Queen growls, but the blonde senses a slight shift in the tension between them, and notes a small tick to the darker woman's jaw. Adopting a tentative smile as she continues to speak down into the flames, she muses quietly

"Well, I guess I just know you too well to be fooled by your shit any longer."

"I _beg_ your pardon?"

Haughty annoyance.

An impish smirk.

"You're a good actress, Madame Mayor, perhaps even a _method_ actress, but... Every now and then, a glimmer of your better side shines through."

"I don't follow."

"No? Well... I guess a simpler way of putting it might be... I like you. Maybe not _all_ the time, maybe not even _most_ of the time, but _sometimes_ I do, and that's because with all the crap that's gone on between us- and just in general- and everything that's come to light... I _do_ get it, Regina. Not all of it, but enough to understand that you're one of the good guys, even if you don't want to hear it from me..."

"No. I don't. For once, you find yourself correct, my dear! I-"

"-But, it's no different, _really_ , to the way you feel about me."

"... The way I feel about you?... Why, Miss Swan? How _do_ you _believe_ I feel about you?"

The brunette inquires silkily; her expression dangerous as she waits for the younger woman's ludicrously misinformed reply.

"You like me, too."

Emma shrugs, finally looking up and regarding the Mayor with a calm patience that serves to have Regina blinking in surprise and hastily reverting her attention back down towards the fire.

"Is that so?"

"Well enough. We can probably hold off on buying any matching jewellery for the time being, but... You do... I wouldn't _be_ here if you didn't."

"Yes, well, I'm having some _serious_ second thoughts as far as _that_ little invitation was concerned-"

"-I don't doubt it. That's not what I meant, though. I meant in general... When I came through the well, you welcomed me back, Regina. You weren't exactly _ecstatic_ about it, and there were no hugs and elated sobbing... But, you still helped me. You still helped _us_..."

"I think you may be reading too deeply into the situation, Miss Swan, I-"

"-then went on to invite me to share your bed. It's almost poetic."

Emma offers with wry chuckle, reaching forwards to snatch a stick from out beneath the rain and using it to prod at their small fire thoughtfully. Sighing, Regina watches on as she goads irritably

"I've _already_ explained to you; I only did that because I had no wish to listen to your mother's whining should you have fallen ill."

"... Sure."

"Had I _known_ I would be awoken in such a violent fashion, I never would have offered."

"Yeah, well... I guess that brings us back to the _main_ thing, though, doesn't it?"

"Which is?"

"Each of us had a nightmare concerning Henry... Worrying about Henry... Doesn't that say it all?"

"... You're proposing that the fact we both 'worry' about him makes our love _equal_?"

"Would that be so terrible?"

"It would make a _mockery_ of the ten years _I_ spent _raising_ him!"

"... You say that like you still believe I gave him up because it _suited_ me... Because I couldn't be _bothered_ , or-"

"-No."

Regina shakes her head, placing her hand lightly on the Sheriff's arm as the latter growls angrily; sudden, held back tears causing her voice to break.

"That is _not_ what I'm saying. Nor is it what I believe. I'm simply stating the truth... I raised Henry, and I did so alone... As I had _intended_ to continue _on_ doing before you came along and _ruined_ it all..."

"What... Until he turned eighteen and started thinking of finding his own place? While his classmates remained in some sort of _insane_ limbo, and-"

"-I don't _know_!... _Alright_?... I... Henry was never a _part_ of the curse. Not that I was aware of, anyway... He was the _one_ good thing that I allowed myself, and had nothing to do with the mess of my former life. I... I never thought that far ahead... I just... I simply loved him and believed- _foolishly_ believed- it would be enough..."

The brunette sighs solemnly, her own lashes wet as thunder rumbles above them; the ceaseless rain suiting the melancholy mood beneath the sagging canopy. Sniffing sadly as she continues to worry the flames with the stick in her hand, Emma speaks so softly she is barely audible.

"... I'm sorry I ruined things for you, Regina..."

"As am I."

"I guess I-"

"-But, I myself am sorry for the way that I behaved towards you when you first arrived in town. It was discourteous, perhaps even rude... I did not want to accept the painful notion that my son had been so miserable in my care that he would look to prefer the affection of a rough-around-the-edges young wanderer, who- so far as anyone knew at the _time_ \- had tossed him aside once before... I believe I made my displeasure known..."

"Vehemently!"

"I apologise."

"Thank you. That means a lot... And you know... If it makes you feel any better... When we were in New York, Henry got pretty mad at me for lying to him about his dad... I _kind_ of got it, but at the same time this other part of me was just thinking 'well hey now, wait a second! I did that because I had no fucking clue who this guy was- I mean, _I'd_ certainly got it all _wrong_ , or so I believed- but I know that he _hurt_ me'... And I didn't see any reason to wallow in the past as there was no plausible _reason_ it should have ever mattered. There was already _one_ runaway parent in the mix, why add in _another_ disappointment? What about everything _else_ I'd done for him since then? What... And suddenly I'm not _good_ enough anymore?!... I was upset, but I was also pissed... I kept telling myself 'you can't get pissed at a ten year old'... And then... I guess I thought on it some more, and realised that was the _issue_...

He's ten.

He may have wandered around town with eyes only for Neal, while rubbing it- quite brutally- in my face... But if something had _happened_ out there- I don't know what, but you know what I mean- Henry would have come running to _me_. Because he's ten... And I may have failed whatever test was going on in his head, but I also did all those other things- _good_ things- for him. He still needed me.

Just like when he's been at mine over the last month and he's had a bad dream... I try, Regina, but I don't _do_ it right. I don't do whatever it is _you_ do- what you've _always_ done- and it's not... It's not what he wants.

Because he wants his mother.

 _That_ mother.

Same as, whatever was going on in that storybook was interesting, and exciting, and all the kid could focus on... Because he's a kid. Same as, the night I drove him home to Storybrooke and he told me he believed that you just _pretended_ to love him, I didn't quite buy that. Because I'm an _adult_... And I saw _plenty_ after deciding to stay to confirm my theory.

 _Both_ of them, in fact."

"... The other being?"

"That you were a class A bitch."

" _Really!?_ "

Regina scolds, but she smiles as she chokes out the word, and allows a tear to roll down her cheek to disappear into the soft pelt of her coat unchecked.

"Really."

Emma nods wisely, before she winces against the bright streak of a shock of lightening.

"... I won't _say_ what I make of _you_."

The brunette chides, but she does so without any real malice, instead recalling with vague intrigue their ever friendlier conversations since being stuck here on this island.

"No? Well, I reckon you've come to the _unsavoury_ realisation that you actually quite like having me around, and don't quite know what to do with this discovery."

"Is _that_ what you reckon?"

The Queen purrs noncommittally; raising a brow as though offering the blonde's insight indifferent disdain.

"Yup."

"...Well... I suppose there exists a certain amount of _entertainment_ in watching you navigate your way around Hook with all the grace of a monosyllabic shut-in. Not to mention playing witness to your debilitating defensive failures at interacting with new friends..."

"If you're referring to the fairy I interrupted midway through crushing your _heart_ -"

"-who else?-"

"-Then I believe my lack of a warm welcome might be _excused_."

"My dear, you make a frosty reception an _art_ form, and yet I remain suitably entertained..."

"For someone so recently asking for forgiveness for their _own_ shitty welcome-"

"-Did I not invite you into the comfort of my home and offer you a drink, Miss Swan?"

"You liquored me up with a spiked glass of cider and had me falsely incarcerated!"

"But at least I went about it elegantly and with class."

"Oh, you are so full of it, Regina, you really are..."

Emma chuckles, shaking her head, and the darker woman smiles wryly as she holds her hands out towards the flames.

"I imagine you are referring to only _good_ things, Sheriff?... You know, I often wondered just what it was you did to trick Henry... How you convinced him to _like_ you, when you seemed so terribly loathsome to any with good taste-"

"-What did I tell you about insulting the kid? He-"

"-As I was saying... I just couldn't _understand_ it... But after some rather arduous causes to give a little more thought to the matter, I suppose I could fathom such a thing... I suppose you are, in some ways, quite likeable..."

" _Told_ you. You like me."

"No. I surmised that you are _likeable_ , Miss Swan, indicating that people like you... I never claimed to be _one_ of those people."

"Course not."

"... But, I am grateful for your words concerning Henry, and your perception of the situation... I know I didn't make it easy to see things in such a way."

"I'm not saying there wasn't a lot of pillow thumping and lip biting."

"... Miss Swan?"

"Poorly worded?"

"Predictably so."

The Mayor purrs and the Sheriff smirks, before looking down at the mud that streaks her palms from the stick and tossing it back out into the wrath of the storm.

"It was kind of nice to talk about Henry with you and not have it end in one of us threatening the other... It's like all we've ever really focused on is the _bad_ stuff- namely, each other- and... I mean... You've reminded me a hundred and one times that you were the one to raise him. Maybe... Uh, maybe I might like to, like... I mean, you must have some stories?"

"... About Henry's upbringing?"

"About what he was like as a kid. The stuff I missed, I guess."

"... I have a couple..."

"...Would you mind... Would you like to tell me one?"

The blonde inquires tentatively, emerald gaze carefully lowered to the fire dancing before them. Regarding her thoughtfully, Regina allows a slow smile to grace her lips as she drops her own attention back to flickering flames with an odd feeling of fullness.

"Perhaps... That depends, dear... Do you still have that rum?"

"Ah, shit, no... I left the canteen down with the others."

"No matter... I have my own here."

"I thought you didn't _like_ rum, anyway?"

"Not particularly, but then I suppose now would be the time for me to embrace _other_ peculiarities than just the one imminent between us... As it is though, I suppose I might query your careful _insistence_ of trust in me and elect to offer up some hot cider..."

"Ha! All trust aside, I'd take you up on that in this miserable weather, poisoned or not..."

"Good. Then help yourself, dear. Perhaps it may serve to keep you quiet long enough to allow me time to tell my tale uninterrupted..."


	12. Chapter 12

****

By the time Regina gets around to telling the story of Henry's first days at school, the awkwardness of sharing such things with the Saviour has dissipated almost entirely. Instead, she smiles indulgently as Emma laughs when informed of their son's rather interesting approach to one of his first art projects, before sighing quietly as she tries to pull the blanket they share a little closer to herself.

Not that this seems to make a whole lot of difference.

She has had to struggle for the last ten minutes or so to be heard over the shrieking cries of the wind, but when the blonde enquires of her now whether it might be possible to cast another charm over the tent to keep them dry and stop that awful sound, she shakes her head regretfully.

"I could cast a spell to keep others out- or us in- but going against the forces of nature takes a greater toll... And I'm tired."

She throws the blonde a weary glance as she admits this last part- having so far refrained from mentioning the terrible cloak of fatigue this hateful trip has started engulfing her with- but, to her relief, Emma simply nods with a solemn sigh of understanding.

"Yeah, I know. I guess we all are."

"...No."

"Huh?"

"It's not the same. Not for them. Our time on this island has been stressful and demanding, but it's not the same for your parents and the pirate. _They_ aren't missing a child. It's not _their_ son that's been taken away and kept for bounty. It's _ours_."

Regina offers a small shrug when Emma shoots her a meaningful glance, and accepts the blonde's offer of the canteen sloshing with inexplicably hot cider they pass between them.

She doesn't need to bring attention to the fact that she's allowing Emma to share in her level of hurt; the surprised gratefulness that flashes in green eyes letting her know that the younger woman is entirely aware of this strange fact.

And, if she's being _honest_ ; there exists an obscure sort of comfort in knowing she's not alone.

In _accepting_ that she's not alone.

Emma seems to be of much the same opinion, and she licks sweet apple from her lips as she muses thoughtfully

"I think you've probably had the worst of it though, Regina. I'm not sure the others _understand_ what it's like to use magic... I might not be ready to stand in for Harry Potter or anything like that, but I've used whatever power I seem to have a few times now, and... It _drains_ you."

"It does."

"You were pretty hardcore with it all when Pan sent in his Lost Boys... I guess I never even thought to _ask_ if you were okay after that. Sorry."

Dark eyes widen in surprise, and the brunette contemplates the canteen in her hand pensively before passing it over to her companion.

"I'd never have _expected_ you to, dear."

She states honestly, and Emma shrugs uncomfortably as she drinks deeply from the bottomless vessel; fighting a losing battle if her aim is to warm herself up.

 _Regina imagines the younger woman might_ also _be overindulging due to the strange new breed of tension forming between them, but she keeps this to herself._

"Maybe you'd not _expect_ it, but I still wish I'd asked. I kind of feel like you think you're trailing me and the others around this shit-hole, and I don't want you to feel like that. You said that I was the closest thing you have to an ally here, and that's entirely reciprocated in a way... I'm sorry you felt like you weren't missed after you walked off. I think sometimes my parents just... I dunno... I just feel like you think everyone's on _my_ side sometimes, and I worry that you don't understand that I'm on _yours_. Things got a little nasty back there, and it would have been courteous to check you were okay."

"Miss Swan, since when are _you_ at all concerned with appearing _courteous_?"

The Mayor enquires snidely, but she imagines she's doing a poor job of keeping the surprise Emma's words have instilled in her from her tone. Nor does she perceive the rich sarcasm she adopts is sufficing to mask the unexpected warmth the younger woman's admission offers her. Studying the blonde thoughtfully out of the corner of her eye, she watches as the latter shivers visibly and grimaces as a bolt of lightening shocks the dank forest silver.

She is vaguely aware of the fact that Emma draws closer to her so that they sit huddled against one another, but she says nothing about this, electing instead to muse gently

"I still find it odd, dear- and occasionally I don't know how to show it- but... I _do_ know we're on the same side for now... As for what happens when we get off this island, I don't know, but I will tell you now that I imagine that will depend more on your _parents_ than it will on yourself... I believe you and I have been victims of circumstance for while now, Emma, but I don't think there's been that soothing familiarity of _hate_ present for some time."

"Told you."

"Yes, well, no one likes a know it all-"

Regina smirks, before continuing tentatively

"-And don't concern yourself over not having checked up on me, dear. We're both adults... And, incidentally, _I_ wasn't the one who left that clearing white as a sheet and visibly shaken... I could apologise for not asking after _you_ , too, Emma."

"I guess... But, I mean, I had Mary Margaret-"

"-Mary Margaret has spent her time on this island viewing this excursion almost as though it were a family _vacation_ at times."

"That's not really fair, she-"

"-She means well. I know this. That's not to say that you're _enjoying_ playing dutiful daughter, if I might be so bold?... They worry about you- your parents- and you don't quite know what to _do_ with that... They asked after you, and I didn't. I wonder though, if you might have been a little more forthcoming about what bothered you so in that clearing had _I_ asked instead of them."

"I told them..."

"I know. It's how you got the map to work... What was it you realised?"

"... Pan wants me to feel I'm still an orphan. That I'm like _them._.. Like the boys he's brought here."

"I see... And, do you?"

"I _know_ I'm not an orphan; I have parents. We were just _discussing_ them, and their-"

"-That's not what I asked."

"...Pan came to me, you know? He told me I hadn't forgiven my parents. He told me _Henry_ hasn't forgiven _me_ for giving him up, either. He told me... He told me that by the time we got off this fucking island I wouldn't just _feel_ like an orphan; I'd _be_ one."

"I see... Well, it's a cruel threat, but not one I would presume to speak of promise. I myself have dished up similar declarations of fate and misery to countless unfortunates, but just take a look behind us and you'll see your mother's shadow as she sleeps peacefully..."

Regina sighs, and she plucks the canteen from pale fingers and studies it silently as she feels the soft trembling of the Sheriff at her side; the younger woman sitting so close to her that light curls brush against her dark tresses. Their position offers them a minute degree of warmth, and she is surprised to discover that she finds the gentle weight of the blonde leaning against her to be curiously pleasant.

She thinks about what Emma has said.

_You like me._

Thinks about the strange, tentative friendship that has grown from what had been simple, begrudging camaraderie when they'd first stepped foot on the island.

And, she supposes she could ask for _worse_ friends than Emma...

Supposes she's just a little, _tiny_ bit glad that the blonde had gone off after her today.

_...And not just because of the way things had turned sour with Tink._

"...Henry understands why you did it, Emma. Pan wants you spooked, that's all there is to it."

"Is it?"

The younger woman growls, and Regina nods resolutely as she shivers; her cheeks and tongue fiery with alcohol, but her limbs clammy and cold beneath the damp wool of her coat. Eyeing Emma's rather thin sweater, she forces just a little more power from her palms to keep the flames flickering before them dancing generously.

This slight increase in heat isn't lost on the Sheriff, and she glances at the brunette curiously, before holding out her own hands and asking tentatively

"Do you want me to try for a bit?"

"I can manage."

"Yeah, I _know_ , but... It seems fair we _both_ give it a go..."

"I have no wish to be inadvertently set ablaze, Miss Swan."

Regina sniffs arrogantly, but she offers a small smile which is met with a grin from the blonde as Emma rolls her eyes.

"Fine! I don't know _why_ I bother. That's the last time I try and get you hot, Madame Mayor."

"Excuse me?"

The darker woman scowls, but she is unable to hide the amusement from her eyes as she offers the Sheriff a rather complex look; confused by the mixture of feelings swirling in her chest. There is a part of her that is touched by their conversation tonight, and Emma's attempts at expressing her curious sense of care towards her, but there is also an aftertaste of her previous musings as to the younger woman's flirtatious way of joking at her expense, and she imagines this has been greatly magnified by the cider Emma sips at as she grins obliviously.

"I _said_ that's the last time I try and get you all hot and bother-"

But the blonde finds her words dying on her lips as the Mayor leans forwards and studies her intently; Regina's nose only an inch away from her own.

"-Do you really mean that?"

"Uh..."

"Because it seems to me like you're _incapable_ of helping yourself... Just how much _do_ you like me, Sheriff?"

"... Regina?"

Emma breathes with a frown, but she wets her lips delicately as she returns the Mayor's damning gaze, and, when they finally move from their frozen state, she is unsure whether it is Regina that leans forwards to close the gap between them or herself.

Pulling away when the brunette does the same- the darker woman's eyes blown but troubled- the blonde glances at the dancing flames and imagines that schizophrenic flickering mirrors the crazed haze of emotions and instinct battling it out in her mind. A single look back at Regina lets her know she's not alone; the brunette's breathing shallow and uneven, but her body rigid and eyes glittering with unease and slow, uninvited understanding.

Swallowing nervously, the younger woman holds the Mayor's gaze.

"... Just to help with the cold?"

Emma murmurs quietly- her heart racing as she waits for a response- and Regina nods after a cruelly long pause, before leaning back in and letting a hand creep slowly into thick, golden hair.

"...Just to ward off the cold, dear..."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: For warmth ;) Please review! :)

_"Just to ward off the cold, dear..."_

And the brunette finds she is _almost_ able to believe these words herself, but when their tentative brushing of lips- soft, but she refuses to think of it as romantic- deepens and the Sheriff offers up her tongue, she shivers as this most peculiar situation affects her swiftly and without mercy. Her stomach flutters, and that delicious feeling only intensifies when Emma gives her a chance to breathe while she grazes her teeth a little lower to attack the sensitive underside of her jaw. The blonde's hands are cold, but the trail of her tongue is hot, and the Mayor repeats a silent mantra to herself as she suppresses a moan.

_It's just for warmth, just for warmth, this is just for warmth..._

She strives to block out the fact that it's Emma touching her- tasting her- but she is surprised to discover just how well she has come to know the blonde. She recognises the faint, lingering trace of her shampoo, the quiet scuff of her boots, and the firm, self-assuredness of the younger woman's touch that she never quite succeeds in putting across when she speaks... These are just all things she thinks of as 'Emma'.

What bothers her _most_ about this realisation is the fact that it doesn't turn her off the way she'd thought it might.

Quite the opposite.

 _It's just pent up energy and nerves. It's the_ island _. It has_ nothing _to do with-_

"-Emma..."

She hisses as the blonde slips an ice-cold hand into her coat to rest at her waist beneath her top, and the younger woman chuckles apologetically, though the sound is husky with a tangible sense of need.

"Sorry, I can't _help_ it that it's fucking free-"

But the blonde's breathless response is cut short by a small ' _oh!_ ' as the Mayor encircles her waist and rolls them so that she pulls Emma down to land on top of her; straddling her hips. Holding the Sheriff flush as she finds her lips once more, the brunette consoles herself with the fact that this new position beneath the weight of the younger woman is quite a lot warmer _indeed_ , and she pulls the blanket up over them to cast their hungry battle for dominance into darkness.

"Hey!"

Emma growls, tenting up the itchy throw with one hand while looking down at the brunette through the shadows.

"You wanted to keep _warm_ , remember?"

Regina replies irritably, while inwardly dismissing the thought that it has been quite some time since she's looked up at someone from the position she does now, and that the idiotic Swan woman provides an altogether more appealing image than Graham had done.

_Yes, well, let's not get carried away; any fool can grow their hair out so that it's so damned long it demands attention..._

Her mind offers up peevishly, but she quells such thoughts swiftly as her intrigue argues back that this may simply be a front for all of the times she has found her self walking behind the Sheriff and suffered the most peculiar urge to yank at golden curls viciously... Forever wondering if the younger woman's hair might be as soft as it looks.

_Damn it..._

She scolds herself as her hand slips back up into tumbling cornsilk, and the Sheriff laughs softly as she goes back to crashing her lips against the Mayor's in an entirely debauched fashion.

"What?"

Regina murmurs irritably with a punishing nip to the younger woman's tongue; not impressed that this obscure dalliance continues to be broken up with thoughts, realisations and feelings, when all she wants this to be- all she can _allow_ this to be- is a mindless exercise in physical release.

_We're just keeping warm._

"Just wouldn't have taken you for _bottom_ , Regina..."

The blonde grins as she grinds her hips pointedly and looks down on the Mayor as she lies pinned beneath her in a position of her own making.

"Well, I wouldn't have perceived _you_ as the 'girl' in such a situation..."

Regina snarls challengingly, and dark anger flashes across the younger woman's face before she snaps back icily

"I'm just as much of a girl as you are... Just because I don't walk around in fucking heels and a skirt all the time-"

"- _All_ the time? My dear, even _some_ of the time would be a lie... And I must say, you're rather more defensive than I would have thought on the matter..."

"Yeah, well, I've seen the way you look at me..."

Emma hisses, and the brunette raises a brow as her hands find the pert flesh of the younger woman's backside and push her back down.

"And just how _do_ I look at you, Sheriff?"

"Disdainfully."

The blonde challenges, and the Mayor offers a slow, goading smile that she knows full well is only serving to annoy the younger woman more.

Still...

She hasn't really given the way she looks at Emma all that much _thought_ given everything else that has been going on, and it surprises her that the blonde seems genuinely annoyed about such things.

"My disdain has nothing to do with the way you _look,_ Miss Swan."

She counters airily, and the younger woman rolls her eyes, but seems a to be willing to let the matter go. In all honesty, Regina's thoughts on how ladylike she may or may not be are more or less irrelevant to the blonde; she's just tired of the darker woman looking at her like she's the unpleasant discovery at the bottom of one of those aforementioned heels, and while they have never been anything _close_ to friendly, she can't help but feel that Madame Mayor might not dismiss her quite so disgustedly if she matched the her poise and grace.

 _Oh god, but imagine if we were_ both _such insufferable primadonnas!_

Grinning and letting the matter drop, the younger woman bites playfully at the brunette's bottom lip and whispers

" _Girls_ can do the riding just fine... Never heard of the cowgirl?"

Dark eyes widen in stunned horror at this crude question, before Emma oversteps her mark while leaving a deliciously wet trail down the slender column of the Mayor's throat and hisses into the hollow of her clavicles

"Or is that something _else_ you'd meet with disdain, Missionary Mills?"

Snarling into the blonde's hair furiously, the brunette bites down hard on the younger woman's collarbone before flipping them forcefully; the blanket getting trapped around them awkwardly and the worn canvas they reside under brushing against her hair as she glowers down at the Sheriff.

"Don't you _dare_ speak to me like that!"

"Which part?"

" _Any_ of it! _You_ may thrive off making such crass insinuations, but I do not wish to hear them!"

"... I must say... You're rather more defensive than I would have thought on the matter..."

Emma mimics the brunette's own words bravely, and the latter flashes her teeth as she locks on to the heated promise of the younger woman's intense gaze.

"Shut up; I don't care what you might think you know about me."

She snaps with an air of finality, and, as an after-thought, she adds

"We're _only_ doing this for warmth."

"For warmth..."

Emma agrees as she cups the darker woman's backside and encourages her to move; the latter delving back in with new fire as she crashes her lips against Emma's and relishes the frictiob provided by the rough denim of the blonde's jeans.

"Warmth..."

The Sheriff repeats as she slips both hands into the Mayor's coat; one resting at brunette's waist while the other travels higher beneath her shirt to play over delicate satin.

And, she's right... It's _much_ warmer this way.

"This might help..."

Regina counters back breathlessly as she arches into the Sheriff's touch, and the latter lets out a low mewl of surprise as the darker woman lowers her own hands to the brass button of her jeans and wrestles them open.

"Yeah, I think so!"

Emma nods distractedly as she deepens their kiss which is by now a far cry from the tentative brushing of lips it had been to begin with. What had been shy and tense has now become a wet, open-mouthed battle for release, and she simply grazes her teeth against the Mayor's bottom lip with a groan as the latter slips her hand into tight denim with some difficulty.

"Definitely helping..."

The younger woman pants as wicked fingers enter her and begin to move in a way that serves to light up a _lot_ of questions, and she reciprocates by moving her own hand down to slip between her thigh and the Mayor's covered heat to apply a little more pressure.

 _I suppose there_ are _some benefits to the fucking fancy pants our good Mayor favours... Thin material being one of them..._

She works her fingers with new desperation as this thought- and the fact that she can feel enough through expensive linen to spark several new fantasies- serves to bring her ever closer to the edge.

"Harder..."

Regina breathes against parted lips as the blonde slips her other hand beneath delicate satin to play over the sensitive bud of her nipple, and she presses down with her thumb in turn to garner herself another choked moan. She is absentmindedly aware of the fact that it's a good job she'd cast the sound-proofing shield over the tent as her own breathing is now wet and laced with soft cries as Emma grinds her palm against her sweetly and moves salaciously beneath her.

 _Though it's rather a_ shame _the pirate can't hear..._

She muses wickedly when the Sheriff whimpers loudly as she instigates a new, rough pace with her fingers. It is a cruel thought, and rather more crass than she usually allows of herself, but the delicious feeling of superiority gives her a great thrill, and she cordially ignores the idea that she's taking pleasure in being Emma's favoured choice.

_It's just for warmth..._

She reminds herself, and that much is easy to believe, as she doesn't think she's felt this hot in a long time.

"Fuck, Regina..."

Emma stammers against her throat; feeling the beginning flutters of orgasm ripple pleasurably in her stomach. Arching her back as the brunette curls her fingers with sudden force, she bites her lip with a hissed expletive as the latter shudders tellingly above her before tensing up completely with a low cry.

"God..."

Regina chokes as she relaxes and moves gently once more against the younger woman's palm as she rides out the after shock of her pleasure, and the latter pants quietly with a smile as her inner muscles spasm satedly about slim fingers still gently dipped inside her underwear.

"Yeah..."

Emma swallows, and she moves tentatively out the way as Regina rolls off of her to lie at her side with her hand pressed over her racing heart and her eyes blissfully closed. Pulling the blanket back over them- and deciding not to share the sudden vague thought that pops up in her head that _another_ way to keep warm might be to share body heat... _naked_ body heat- she buttons her jeans back up blindly.

"This tent stinks of sex."

Regina offers in what the blonde is amused to find is an entirely characteristic tone of annoyance, and the Sheriff chuckles lightly and whispers

"Yeah, but it worked. I'm _warm_. And I-"

"-Miss Swan. I am trying to sleep."

The brunette snaps irritably, and the younger woman looks to her side with an exasperated expression, before rolling her eyes with an odd sense of affection and turning to face the dying embers of their fire.

"Oh, fuck you, Madame Mayor."

She smiles sleepily, thanking any interested deity that Regina had set up her tent facing away from the others.

It never occurs to her that with the fire flickering away all the while, their shadows will have played damningly over the dark canvas of the brunette's tent. Nor does it occur to her that while her parents had set up their own canopy facing the river, Hook's had looked out onto the camp.

Out onto the Queen's tent set up a little way away from the others.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Omg! I have thought of an actual storyline for this! How exciting (for me) haha! Hope you enjoy, sorry this is sort of more filler chapter than storyline, but now I know where I want this to go, I need to set everything up :) Also, someone suggested I clarify on this- YES this is a SQ fic, there will be some angst and storyline involving Hook, but no this will never be even remotely CS, at least not in Emma's eyes, and YES, I imagine Sq will be endgame in this so far as I know now :) Please review! Thanks for reading!

As both women had discussed previously, it seems that dawn is something the island is lacking in; the ominous darkness of the place all-consuming and relentless. Still, at around this time in other lands, the Mayor stirs from her slumber as her dreaming has weakened the hold of the encompassing charm she'd ignited over the tent, and the heavy sound of rain beats an idiot rhythm against the forest floor mud. She can smell the dampness, but also something else, and after a moment's confusion with her lashes adamantly clamped shut, she recognises that scent as belonging to the Sheriff's- _that hateful Swan woman's_ \- shampoo.

"Oh god."

She murmurs with slow recollection of where they are and what had come to pass between them the previous evening, and she opens one eye apprehensively to be met with a mass of tousled curls tumbling over pale features that look an awful lot more serene than she has ever witnessed them to be during waking hours. It's _almost_ endearing in fact... The way dusky lashes cast shadow over high cheekbones speckled here and there with freckles she's never really noticed before.

...Almost.

Not that she's about to _allow_ such thoughts. Dark eyes flashing to the small nick above the younger woman's eye, she reminds herself that the little scar there is of her own doing and that she had found great _pleasure_ in that fact.

Had, in fact, felt a whole lot _better_ about the unfortunate way things had ended with Graham when she had next run into an- inappropriately!- grief stricken Deputy Swan to find the woman sporting a healthy cut beneath her brow that she'd eventually put down to the simple ring worn on her right hand.

_You deserved that..._

She tries to tell herself now, but, she is distressed to find that she can no longer channel that dark hate that had consumed her for so long, and instead simply finds herself musing over pale features with amiable interest. She recalls Emma grumbling at her the previous day when she'd held up the tube of lipstick from her coat, but supposes that of all of them- despite her rather bedraggled appearance mostly due to her idiotic dip in the ocean- Emma is perhaps best suited to the way they currently live. The younger woman forgoes makeup almost as often as she adds those rather jarring black lines over her eyes back home, and she now looks much the same as usual, whereas the Mayor and Snow have met each new day with a slightly more noticeably unkempt appearance.

Shivering against the cold of the unfavourable weather, Regina finds it to be a little belated when it finally occurs to her to wrinkle her nose with displeasure as she notices the way the Sheriff once more lies curled up against her. She supposes that must be why the scent of her shampoo had been noticeable; most of that familiar almond and honey washed away by salt water and several days of abuse. She-

_What?!_

Tensing up- startled- as she catches the faint rustling of one of the others moving around in their tent, she holds her breath, before waiting out the following silence and deducing the noise to have been one made in sleep.

Still...

She's not about to cut things so close, and she shakes the blonde curled up against her firmly.

Firmly, but not with the roughness she might once have used when dealing with the Sheriff, and, when the latter mumbles something inaudible and frowns with the confusion of one stuck between dreams and reality, she addresses the blonde softly.

"You have to get up, Miss Swan. You can't be in here when the others wake up."

She momentarily braces herself for a barrage of irritable offence at this statement, before Emma reminds her that where she herself has a hard time simply allowing another person _in_ as it were, the blonde views the act and scenarios from which gossip might ensue with about as much appreciation as she might have for a flesh eating disease.

"Shit."

Emma grunts- rubbing her eyes- and the brunette smirks as she supposes she should at least offer credit where it's due for the younger woman not making this into some terribly contrived 'morning after' situation.

"I have to pee so bad."

"Charming. Now get out."

She orders airily before turning to face the back of the tent and closing her eyes once more.

_No, definitely not one for an emotional breakdown over curious events..._

She concludes, and she likes this just fine. Pulling the covers up over her head sleepily as she listens to the soft pad of Emma's boots sounding through wet mud, she suffers a brief moment's consideration for the fact that she is sending the Sheriff off to go sit- _and relieve herself apparently; thanks for that, dear_ \- in the rain, before deciding that thinking about such things is simply a step too far.

"Let her damn _parents_ worry about that!"

She mutters, deeming her own rather alarming show of charity to satisfy any needs for compassion for the next couple of years or so.

 _Still... It_ was _warm in the end..._

Yes, and, truth be told, she's begrudgingly a little relieved she'd found Emma lying out in the mud when she had done. She doesn't believe the blonde would have been idiotic enough to remain out in the open in the pounding rain, but she also doubts the Sheriff would have dared come to her for help.

She imagines this thought displeases her more than it should.

"Life was so much simpler when I just wanted her _dead_."

She grumbles to herself; feeling the shroud of the sandman beginning to take over once more and expelling the younger woman from her thoughts.

* * *

"Hey, are you awake?"

Emma whispers in a decidedly unhushed voice, and Mary Margaret furrows her brow before opening one eye blearily to regard the blonde.

"Emma?"

The younger woman smiles- feeling a small amount of guilt and awkwardness for the immediate maw of concern to find the school teacher's mouth- and holds a finger to her own lips as she glances pointedly towards David who sleeps soundly beside her mother.

"Morning."

"Is it?"

Snow asks in disbelief, and the Sheriff shrugs awkwardly as she remains lent into the comfort of the tent with her backside out in the rain. She feels a little weird creeping into the Charming's tent like a little kid in need of assistance, but she reminds herself that Snow is _also_ Mary Margaret, and that the two of them had spent the best part of a year obliviously sharing all manner of tales and secrets before the 'm' word had been dropped. They are good friends as well as mother and daughter, and she clings to this fact hopefully as she doesn't think it could be considered all that strange to want to drag your nearest and dearest in to share your shit with you.

"It's hard to tell the time, but it's cold. We should get some wood for the fire."

The blonde reasons breezily, and Mary Margaret shrugs in surprise as it is a rare occasion that Emma is up before she is.

"Yeah, okay, I suppose that might be a good-... Wait... Emma, it's pouring! We can't make a fire..."

She frowns as she catches the telling sound of the rain and peeks past the younger woman into the dismal grey of the clearing.

"Well, not right _now_ , but if we get the wood then-"

"-I'm not going out into _that_ , no way! And what are _you_ doing up and out here? Couldn't you sleep?"

"... Not really."

Emma confides; inwardly rather relieved that the question of _where_ she might have tried sleeping hasn't come up.

"Come in, come in, you're letting the heat out and getting all wet."

Snow grumbles, and the blonde sniffs uncomfortably as she positions herself awkwardly at the edge of another's tent for the second time in the last few hours.

"Oh, get in here..."

The schoolteacher sighs; tugging at her housemate, daughter, friend, and pulling the blonde down to lie beside her beneath the shelter of the canvas stretched up over them.

"Mary Margaret..."

Emma grumbles, but she is secretly relieved that the paler woman has invited her in without having to be asked, however awkward she might feel lying three in a cosy row with Snow White and Prince Charming.

_AKA; mom and dad..._

Her mind throws up, before she tells it quite firmly where and how to go fuck itself.

"You're soaking."

Mary Margaret frowns as she pulls her side of the blanket up over the blonde with some difficulty, and the younger woman shrugs disinterestedly as she strives to relax.

"Just my butt."

She corrects the school teacher matter-of-factly, and Snow snickers sleepily as she closes her eyes and places a tentative hand over the younger woman's forearm.

"Are you worried? Is that why you can't sleep, Emma?"

She asks quietly, and the blonde considers this question uncomfortably- wondering how to respond- before catching the tellingly even sighs of her mother's breath as the older woman loses touch with the world and disappears into whatever dreamland awaits her.

"Kind of."

Emma whispers, and, she finds that now she _thinks_ on it, this is true; her dream suddenly coming back to her and causing her to shiver nervously.

_Little Fawn..._

"No."

She informs the air firmly, before closing her own eyes and simply accepting that sleep isn't on the cards for her anymore.

_Just you fucking wait 'til I get my hands on you, Pan._

* * *

It isn't until quite a lot later than things get up and going in the camp, and any concern either Emma or Regina might have had as to lingering awkwardness between them is put to rest as both are on side when it comes to snapping at the others that they need to get moving.

The anguished cry of "where too?!" this demand is met with only serving to stoke the fire and rally the two together.

"You _can't_ just keep marching around the island. It's what Pan wants and it will do you no good. This is a _game_ to him, and the longer you fall into his traps and provide entertainment, the longer it's going to be before you see your boy again."

Tinkerbell huffs as Regina barks at her for what feels like the hundredth time that the fairy should make good on her offer to help. At first, when they'd huddled up in the damp, she'd attempted to keep her tone polite- reminding herself over and over of her precarious position within this rather queer and heated group- but, there are only so many times she feels she can be spoken to the way the two women sat across from her are doing now.

"Wellm then what _do_ we do?!"

Emma cries; throwing her hands up in exasperation, before turning to the pirate and snapping irritably.

"Why don't _you_ have any ideas? You've dealt with Pan before! Why don't-"

"-If I _had_ a plan, I'd share it, Swan. _You're_ the one who spoke to him, why don't _you_ know anything more from enduring _that_ pleasant encounter?"

Hook growls angrily, and the others glance up at him curiously as it is unlike the pirate to speak to Emma in such a way.

"I figured out how to use the _map_ , didn't I?! I-"

"-Guys... Come on. Bickering isn't going to solve anything."

"You'd be surprised... Apparently it does wonders."

Hook mutters, and Charming throws him a confused glance as he decides everyone needs to take a step back and relax.

"Look, we're all hungry, tired and running out of ideas. Tink, can you try reading the map again? Regina, do you think you could try and sort out some food somehow? Is that possible? Hook, you and I will go scouting for lack of anything better to do. Snow, you stay with Tinkerbell in case she needs help. Emma, you-"

"-I'm going to scout, too."

The blonde informs him firmly and Charming sighs and tells her it's up to her.

"Fine. Well, then whoever's back first can try and find some more firewood... For now, we just have to do what we can."

An audible huff from the left of the camp, and Emma glances up to catch Regina's eye; imaging her own expression reads exactly the same as the brunette's:

_What if that's not enough..._

* * *

"Hey!"

Emma growls as leaves and twigs crunch in the shadows around her, and she unsheathes her sword swiftly; adopting a combative stance.

"It's just me, Swan."

"Hook."

The blonde sighs in relief, before brandishing her blade irritably towards the pirate as he saunters into view and leans against one of the stunted trees that play their backdrop.

"What are you doing sneaking up on me, anyway? You think that shit's _funny_?"

"No."

The pirate shrugs, and the Sheriff shakes her head as she re-sheathes her weapon and stands with hands placed vexedly on her hips.

"Well, then why didn't you-"

"-I just came to see if you needed help, that's all."

"Oh... Well... You can take some of these sticks back to camp I guess."

Emma suggests; cocking her jaw towards the mound of vaguely dry branches she's retrieved from beneath surrounding thickets and coves.

"What, no _please_? No sweetness for my aid?"

"What?"

The Sheriff snaps distractedly as she piles several of the gnarled branches into her own arms. Looking up, disgruntled, she narrows her eyes as she regards Hook a little more closely.

"Are you _drunk_?!"

"What's it to you?"

"Well, I... What the hell is _with_ you today?"

Emma demands, dropping the load she carries and taking a step further into the shadows to address the pirate.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: It's been a while! I had left this story for a long time as the plan I'd originally had for this stopped appealing to me and I was unsure where to take it. It's always been a favourite to write though, and I didn't like leaving it sat unfinished, so I'm taking another shot at it :) So, welcome back aboard, and I hope you'll rejoin me for the ride! It should be fun! Reviews would be awesome :)

Hook eyes the blonde reproachfully as she steps closer to him so that they stand in a shroud of shadow. He can hear the quiet murmur of the others still back at the camp, but he and Emma stand hidden in the near-darkness, and the dry kindling at her feet shimmers a curious silver that matches her eyes.

"Seriously, you've been acting weird all day."

She sighs, but she does so with a note of impatience rather than any discernible care. Ordinarily, this wouldn't bother him. He both likes the blonde's edge, and would hardly begrudge her for being short with him- short with _anyone_ \- with Henry still missing.

 _That's the thing, though... That's the_ thing _, isn't it, Swan..._

Yes. He would understand her being short with _anyone_ , but this isn't the case. It hasn't been the case for a _while_ now. She's growled at her parents more times than he can count- although he privately wonders if perhaps the Charmings aren't digging themselves ever deeper in their continual attempts to parent her despite her clear resentment of the fact- and she seems _entirely_ put out by the arrival of the fairy.

_And to think, for a moment, I'd picked up on that and thought it might be an interesting little development between us. I had thought- believed- it might be jealousy..._

He had. Hopefully. He has since considered the more likely fact that the coldness Emma has treated Tinkerbell to with minimal attempts to hide it is simply a deep facet of the blonde's ways. She is not a fan of strangers, and he supposes he knows this much first hand. Still, it is not the _others_ he is all too concerned about. The fact that Emma has been curt with the others wouldn't bother him at _all_ if she'd only behave in the same way towards _all_ of them. It's the fact that Regina hasn't been treated to the same snapping and iciness that frustrates him.

 _Well, that was what_ had _been frustrating..._

Again, he'd been willing to give Emma a little slack for her curious display of favouritism- has _always_ been willing to let the blonde get away with murder- as he'd understood the fact that Regina was in as close a position to understanding her long ago nemesis as any of them were apt to get. The two are going through the same stress and heartache over their son, and he'd told himself this over and over when struggling to maintain his patience in the face of the blonde allowing the Mayor- the Evil Queen- a strange breed of leniency not offered to any of those that have remained loyal to her from the beginning.

_Well... Almost..._

He supposes he is partially to blame for them being here, but not nearly so much as it's the brunette's fault. And still, Emma has stood by Regina through this whole wretched ordeal. He'd _tried_ to be understanding. He had...

_But what you did last night..._

His hands close into fists, and Emma raises an eyebrow at him curiously.

_What you did..._

He's still not entirely sure he _understands_ what he'd seen last night. Shadows spilling across the Mayor's tent, flickering with the glow of a makeshift fire. He'd been unable to hear anything coming from Regina's direction, but the movements of the shadowy figures behind the canvas had been telling.

Confusing.

Sordid.

"Hook?"

The blonde asks uncertainly, and he refuses her an answer save for a furrowing of his brow. She takes another step closer to him and he can see the neat stitches marching up the shoulders of her sweater.

"You _have_ been drinking."

She accuses him, able to smell liquor on him as they stand nose to nose, and he opens his mouth to blame her- to say _what_ exactly, he hasn't decided yet- before leaves rustle behind them and they are interrupted by David.

"Emma, there you are. Your mother was looking for you."

He greets, before flashing Hook a warning glance as he takes in the seclusion of their little meeting place and the connotations it yields.

_I'm not the one you need to be worrying about, mate._

"Is everything ok?"

David asks, looking from Emma to Hook and sensing a strange tension between them.

"Yeah, just getting firewood."

The blonde assures, gathering the kindling at her feet and turning to follow her father back to camp before glancing over her shoulder with a frown.

"Aren't you coming?"

"I'm coming. I'll just gather up the last few pieces here. You go on ahead."

He dismisses, and she obeys without a moment's hesitation, leaving him to deal with his confusion and doubt on his own.

"...Fickle, isn't she."

A voice heralds him from deeper into the trees, and he looks up, startled, and reaches for his sword.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

"Such a shame."

Comes the amused reply, and Hook glimpses a shadow behind the stunted branches of a dying oak, before Pan steps out into a sheaf of moonlight.

"I'd punish her."

The boy states calmly, nodding as if to suggest this to be the most _reasonable_ course of action.

"You lay a finger on her, and I'll-"

Hook warns threateningly, but his anger is interrupted by laughter, and Pan shakes his head and leans casually against the tree.

"-If _I_ decide to go after the Saviour, then there is nothing you or any of your friends can do about it. Right now, I have no _intention_ of doing anything to her. None at all... _You_ on the other hand..."

"I'd never hurt her."

"No."

Pan agrees with a note of disappointment, before pushing himself up and adopting a business-like tone

"Not intentionally. But I'm growing tired of the lot of you. Henry's mothers have shown greater resilience than I had anticipated, and yet their plight is beginning to bore me. I don't _like_ being bored, so I've come to make you an offer. For old time's sake.

"I want nothing from you. Either hand Henry back or get lost before I put my sword through you."

"Enough. You're never getting the boy back."

"Then I suggest you leave before things take a painful turn. I want nothing you would offer me."

"Oh. You seem to have mistaken my use of the term 'offer' as suggestive that you'd have some _choice_ in the matter."

Pan sighs, before cracking a wide, terrible grin and looking up to the moon. Hook mimics him, looking up with a sense of dread.

He opens his mouth to scream, but there is no sound.

No sound as the Shadow rushes in.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Enjoy! Also, I am not really a fan of giving things away in notes, but have been asked for warnings on other fics when readers have worried it might go in a direction they weren't comfortable with. This may start reading as ominous- at least I hope it does!- and I really don't want to say much more. What I will point out is that there are no current strong warnings planned to be applicable to this fic. Well, now that that's vaguely and mysteriously cleared up, enjoy! Please review :)

Back at the camp, Emma unloads the wood collected from the forest beside the charred remains of their last fire. She goes about sorting the driest pieces from the rest, before stacking a small selection of her haul into a neat pyramid ready to start the whole process over again. Looking around at the others, she sees that her parents are deep in conversation with Tinkerbell who remains sat pouring over the map. Ascertaining that she has no immediate audience, she is able to dismiss some of the timidity that accompanies her lack of experience and raises one hand towards the small pile of kindling tentatively.

"Come on..."

She wills her powers, well aware that there is a small pack of matches in her mother's backpack, but wanting to succeed on her own. Part of this wish comes from the unfortunate discovery when they'd first set up their tents that many of the matches were no longer fit for use; having been ravaged by salt water and the storm. David had laid out any that remained promising under the canopy of his and Snow's tent, hoping that they might dry out. All in all, they'd managed to salvage only nine, and she is unwilling to use them unless she has to. Another part of her current attempt to harness her power is the nerve-racking likelihood that she may need to rely on what lies deep within rather than her sword sooner or later here on the island.

"Work, damn it!"

She hisses, a small spark flickering from the top twig momentarily before fizzling out.

"For fuck's-"

"-Stop waving your hand around like that. What the hell are you trying to _do_?"

Comes a bemused greeting, and she looks up- startled- as Regina slips from the thickets lining the clearing and ducks beneath the small canopy they have put up over the fire to ward off the dismal weather. Taking a seat beside the blonde- with open irritation at the fact that doing so means lowering herself down on the floor- Regina sighs as she looks from the uselessly unlit sticks to Emma with a raised brow.

"I'm trying to light the damned fire."

The Sheriff grumbles, and she narrows her eyes with a disgruntled huff when this response is met with a disdainful titter.

"Well, you look like you're having a seizure."

Regina offers, and the blonde tosses her hair back and throws her hands up as she snaps

"Fine, well _you_ do it then!"

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'? Regina, we have like eight matches left, and-"

"-We don't _need_ matches. But what use is it to you if I do this for you? You need to stop relying on me for help, Miss Swan-"

"-I think I do just _fine_ without your help, Regina. Or have you forgotten-"

"-My dear, I have no qualm with whatever circumstance you're going to bring up in which you have beaten someone or some _thing_ into submission, but perhaps I was referring to an instance in which you might need to be a little more refined... And incidentally, that's a rather bold statement for one who would have spent their night soaking wet were it not for my hand in the matter."

She sniffs, and Emma's lip twitches as she tries to discern if Regina's statement carries a touch of innuendo, but the brunette seems currently preoccupied with scolding her much as she always does.

_Probably a good thing. The less time spent thinking about what happened last night the better, Swan!_

Emma swallows, recalling the dark promise that had flickered in the Mayor's eyes as she'd moved salaciously above her.

_Damn it._

"I don't rely on you."

Is all she says in the end, and dark eyes roll as Regina mutters that perhaps that might be the route of a lot of the blonde's problems. Catching the poisonous look Emma flashes her, the brunette sighs and appeases quietly

"While here, I suppose we're going to need to learn to look to each other for help."

"Well, I never said I had any problem with- ... uh..."

The younger woman trails off, frowning uncomfortably as the Mayor takes a hold of her hand.

"Regina?"

"Hold it _still_ , open up your palm a little more, and concentrate."

The brunette orders, manipulating the Sheriff's fingers to splay out from the uncertain fist she currently favours.

"Okay, I got it..."

Emma assures awkwardly, but Regina doesn't let go, and instead simply moves a little closer so that she can look down the length of the blonde's outstretched arm.

The younger woman can smell the rain on her.

"Try again. Picture the energy leaving the centre of your palm this time."

The Mayor instructs, and the Sheriff glances at her uncomfortably, but is offered nothing but the darker woman's fine profile as bright eyes remain trained on their interlocked hands.

"Ok."

Emma agrees, and she pulls herself together and attempts to control the manic energy that seems to lick and coil within her without direction.

A small tremble of her fingers before the Mayor steadies her wrist, and then yellow flames flicker to light as they flare around the wood collected from the forest.

"There."

Emma offers with a nonchalant shrug, but a glitter in normally cool green eyes belies that she is privately rather pleased with herself.

"That was acceptable."

Regina sighs, before flashing her teeth smugly when the blonde turns to her with her mouth open in irritation.

"Oh, stop that. You did fine."

She appeases, and the younger woman rolls her eyes and shuffles a little closer to the flames in an attempt to get warm. The brunette watches her thoughtfully before contemplating the fire silently. She's spent the time since they awoke this morning thinking about their obscure evening in her tent, but not only about the crazy conclusion their nerves and tension had amounted to.

 _Although, I still can't believe_ that _happened..._

The thought fills her with an odd sort of dread; the sort that derives from knowing they have crossed a line, though will probably do everything in their power never to mention it.

 _That's simply not going to work... After everything that has come to pass between us... We can't just ignore what we let happen. Even if it_ was _only for warmth..._

The recollection of the younger woman's light, breathless panting and sharp teeth nipped over her bottom lip, and she _knows_ there was more to it, but venturing now into once forbidden territory would be dangerous.

Besides, thoughts of the way the blonde had trembled beneath her aren't the _only_ ones to bother her. More and more, she has been plagued by her dream.

Her nightmare.

"Emma, last night when I woke you up, what had your dream been about?"

"I told you. Henry was dead..."

"...Do you remember anything else?"

"I..."

_Little Fawn..._

"I remember most of it."

She admits eventually, and Regina nods, glancing up at the others as they huddle a little way a way, before speaking quietly to the blonde as her dark eyes lower to watch the flames.

"I think it might be an idea if we share those facts with one another. I told you that I thought it might be the island playing tricks on us... If so, there might be a benefit from sharing. I'd like you to tell me what you recall."

* * *

Stumbling through the undergrowth, Hook eventually comes to rest at the base of a tree; able to see the flickering lights of the fire built at the camp. His brow carries a light sheen of perspiration, and he glances behind him for the boy, but Pan is nowhere to be seen.

He feels loose.

Free.

And yet some small part of him knows that he needs to proceed with caution.

With cunning.

_"This is Neverland. Do you not recall the rules? Anything you want is yours. Anything at all. It's the way things work here. I, I am king here. I make the rules. I can give you what you want. Anything at all."_

_"I don't want anything from you..."_

_"Liar. I am part of you now. I know. I know what lies in your mind- in your heart- and you want as much as any other man. You have wishes. Dreams. Here, they are yours for the taking. Here, you can have what you desire."_

_"We want the boy. We want Henry."_

_"No. That is what the_ others _want. That is what his_ mothers _want. You... You're doing this to please the Saviour. You're doing this for her. Because_ she's _what you want."_

_"I-"_

_"-And she spurned you. She led you on, and then tossed you aside. Worst of all, she doesn't even spare you the consideration to care for how that makes you feel. Worst of all, she has eyes for another."_

_"Maybe I was mistaken..."_

_"Do you really believe that? Do you really believe that your naïve hope is more reliable than what you've seen with your own eyes?"_

_"I..."_

_"Not that it matters. No. You see my gift to you- and you must take it, you have_ already _taken it- is this land and what it can do. My gift to you is the darkness. The Shadow. And once it has filled you completely, you'll no longer stammer your sorry reasonings and miserable morals. You will become the island. You will have what you want."_

_"I can't do that. I can't-"_

_"-Oh, but in a short while, you_ will _. Let yourself adjust. Give yourself a moment. Relax. It will all be well. It will all be_ great _! In fact, you'll be thanking me. After all, Captain, I'm giving you what you want. And I'm giving you the boldness to take it."_

_"Why? What's in it for you?"_

_"Think of it as payment for times long gone. You were always self-serving, and I miss that side of you. The current ratio of heroes is sickening... And I want Emma preoccupied. I want her taken down. Together, she and the Queen make a more powerful opposition than I have the energy to contend with. Legend had promised that the two would be at odds... But look what has become of them. I want her taken care of and I don't want to waste any more of my boys in the process. The heart is the most curious yet selfish of organs. Through that selfishness exists a particular breed of strength. You will have what you want, and accept nothing less. You may not believe me now... But soon-_ so _soon- you will."_

Yes.

He believes it now.

But he is not so foolish as to put himself in danger.

He can wait. The Shadow has always waited.

For this is Neverland.

And, sooner or later, he will get what he wants.


	17. Chapter 17

As Hook slips back amongst the others, the only one to pay him any real attention is Tinkerbell. She glances up at him and enquires off-handedly where he's been while they've been trying to formulate a plan. He doesn't answer her other than to shrug. Still, her brow furrows as she studies him more intently, sensing a slight change in the long ago pirate that unsettles her. She supposes it might just be Hook himself that has her guard coming up instinctively; her memories of their previous encounters none too fond for the most part. In all honesty, it might just be the situation in _general_. Being around Regina is still hard for her to come to terms with, and she finds the Saviour the Queen has brought with her impossible to read.

 _Let alone_ like _._

Yes, it might be the situation. The strange and unlikely group of misfits she's found herself becoming a temporary part of.

_Is it, though? Or is it something else? Something about the pirate... Something off._

Of course, she acknowledges she might _also_ just be being paranoid.

_No. There's something about Hook that's changed... A darkness._

Sighing when he asks her if he can try and help by looking over the map, she pulls it from her bag and hands it over, but she takes care to keep her fingers from touching his.

She doesn't notice when her one time friend and her queer sidekick stalk away from the fire in a slow line for the canopy of trees that overhang the edges of the clearing. Doesn't pay any attention to the way they walk with their heads bowed towards one another, deep in quiet, hushed conversation.

She's too busy watching the pirate out of the corner of her eye.

Watching the pirate as he watches the women slip from sight into the shadows.

Into the darkness.

* * *

"I was sitting inside Henry's castle, the one back in Storybrooke. I think I was waiting for him, though I can't remember why. It was starting to storm, and it was cold and getting dark, and I think I was a bit mad at first that he wasn't there, but I also knew in the back of my mind that something had to be wrong for him to just leave me sitting out there. I tried him on the walkie a few times, which was kind of weird because I don't think I brought it with me in the first place. I know that kind of thing happens all the time in dreams- in mine it does, anyway- but somehow this was _different_. In the dream it seemed odd. It seemed... I don't know... Ominous."

Emma frowns as she walks shoulder to shoulder with the brunette. She keeps her voice lowered even as they slip out of sight of the camp. She's not altogether sure why she feels the need to do so, but when Regina replies, she does so in the same hushed tone.

 _It's not the others that have us whispering like thieves. It's not the others, though I guess neither one of us has any real wish to share the unpleasant thoughts that plague us when we're most vulnerable. It's the_ island _. We're whispering as though we're trying to guard our thoughts from the_ island _... Which is, of course, crazy..._

_And yet..._

And yet, Emma leans in a little to listen to what Regina has to say, knowing she's right, however crazy the idea may be.

"Did he answer? Did anyone answer?"

"Eventually. I don't think it was Henry, though. It _sounded_ like him, but it _wasn't_ him... I think... I think it was the shadow."

She wonders if Regina is going to ask her what she means, or which shadow she's referring to, but the Mayor simply nods, and the younger woman carries on with an involuntary shiver.

"I heard something like bubbles along with his voice- _its_ voice- and then I saw him. Henry. I saw him in the water. I went wading in to grab at him. He was floating... Floating face down. It felt like I'd _never_ get to him, but I did... When I pulled him around... He had no face. It was just darkness."

"Shadow."

"...Yeah. Then I woke up. I think I was screaming, but then the next thing I know you're shaking me. Probably a good thing, I was losing it."

"Yes, I figured, what with the ferocity with which you kicked me. That bruised, by the way."

Regina sniffs irritably, and Emma momentarily debates over a variety of innuendos to do with marking one another given how their night had ended, but decides she doesn't really feel much like joking around. The memory of discovering Henry bobbing about on the scum-topped waves is once more fresh in her mind, and she's never felt _less_ like riling Regina up than she does right now.

 _Right now I'm just glad she's here and on my side. What happened was horrible, even if it_ was _just a dream, and she's the only person that can really understand._

The consecutive thought that the brunette is the only one that really understands _her_ swims dangerously close to the surface, but she bats it away before it can be fully realised; already unsettled by how close she has allowed Regina to get over the past few months if she permits herself to think about it.

"The shadow was in mine, too."

The Mayor states quietly. She explains the growing dread that had crept up inside her as she'd come to understand Henry to be missing. To be gone. To have... Well... _dissipated_. She first uses the word 'disappeared' but she shakes her head and plucks the word dissipated from the dark regions of her mind where it lingers like some terrible predatory fish; ugly but grotesquely simple.

 _It's the_ right _word, I just don't want to_ use _it because it_ _s connotations- that Henry should have dissipated, leaving nothing but a dust trail of memory- are horrific._

Emma seems to agree, biting her lip as she listens.

"It engulfed me. The shadow. It rushed at me, and I couldn't breathe... Then I awoke. Rather more gracefully than yourself."

Regina points out primly, but the blonde pays their usual bickering no mind, and simply plucks a leaf from a low hanging branch and rips it into neat, narrow strips as she continues to worry her lip with her teeth.

"It didn't _say_ anything to me. It just rushed at me."

Regina continues, wanting to tell the blonde to stop biting before she draws blood, but not wishing to sound as though she cares.

_Old habits die so hard..._

She's saved from her dilemma as Emma releases abused flesh in favour of running an anxious hand through her hair, before coming to a stop beneath the skeletal limbs of a dying tree.

She has no way of knowing that it is the same tree Pan had stepped out from to surprise Hook.

"There's something else."

She states, seeming almost to blurt it out. The brunette stops opposite her, noting a minute flicker in the Sheriff's eyes as Emma steps figuratively back behind her guard.

"What is it?"

She asks patiently, although inside she wants to shake the blonde to get her to answer quicker. She's been around Emma for long enough now to know when to tread with caution, however. Sometimes, shaking the blonde actually works. Not physically- she's wanted to many times, but never has- but metaphorically. The younger woman responds defiantly to being put through her paces, but she does _respond_. Right now, that doesn't seem like the best plan, though. Right now, the Queen knows she needs to keep Emma on her side, and while she doubts ruffling her feathers will in any way weaken the common bond they share, it may chip away some of the trust that has been slowly building between them.

"Was it something else in your dream?"

She prompts gently, and the blonde nods but momentarily maintains her silence. She looks down at her feet- black boots scuffed with mud planted in the dirt only a few inches from Regina's own which are now beginning to look much the same- before once more meeting dark eyes.

"Henry said something on the walkie. Only really, it was the Shadow... And... I guess maybe it makes sense as it was just a dream. Hell, _you_ say weird shit all the _time_ in my dreams... But... What if it's _not_ just a dream. What if Pan _knows_ things about us. More than he's letting on. What if he can see _into_ us somehow..."

"...What did it say? The voice on the walkie?"

Regina pushes quietly. She refuses to refer to the voice as Henry. Henry would never say anything to the blonde that would make her look the way she currently does.

_Although I might once have wished for it._

"He called me a name that no one's called me since I was very young. About eight. Little Fawn... Some of the kids used to call me that in the home I was in. It was a proper orphanage, and kids come and go. Most of them get given nicknames by each other... On the surface it's either cruel or affectionate- depending on the name- but beneath all that, it's just another barrier from getting too close. Too personal. The voice called me Little Fawn, and no one _knows_ about that. No one that's still in my life..."

"Well, like you said, it was a dream. Maybe-"

"-It was, but Regina, I didn't even _remember_ it until the voice used that name."

"Well... Maybe deep in your subconscious..."

Regina starts, but she trails off into silence. After all, she doesn't believe that the nickname had simply been plucked by the sandman from the blonde's buried memories any more than Emma does herself. It's just that the alternative is terrifying.

"...What if Pan _knows_ things?"

Emma murmurs quietly, and she's back to biting her lip. The brunette raises a hand and uses her thumb to gently pull reddened flesh free from cruel teeth and shakes her head.

"What if he does?"

She challenges, and the blonde immediately raises her defences and snaps

"It'd be pretty fucking _concerning_ , no?!"

"...It would."

Regina appeases, before elaborating

"What I _mean_ is, so _what_ if he knows about the name those children called you? I'm not dismissing your discomfort or goading you, I am asking a genuine and pressing question, dear. Is there something about that time that it would be _bad_ for Pan to know about? Why did referring to you as Little Fawn worry you so?"

"... I guess because it's so _specific_. I was only there- at St Catherine's- for three weeks. Then they closed the place down and we all got carted off to other places."

"Why was it closed down?"

The brunette frowns, carefully skimming over the rest of what Emma has said as it still leaves her feeling uncomfortable at times to know all too much about the younger woman's past. There had been a time where she'd wanted _all_ of the nastier details... Now, details are something she strives to _avoid_ where possible.

"A kid got abducted, it was a massive case. Cops everywhere. They never solved what happened that I know of, but it wasn't exactly a good light for an already struggling orphanage. I've been worse places, but establishments like that tend to have lots of dusty skeletons in the closets that they don't want disturbed, and a bunch of detectives sticking their noses into everything made the choice to go down quietly and relinquish responsibility easy, I reckon. Kid got snatched right from under their noses, while supposedly sound asleep on the third floor. No signs of a break in, and the place had four locks on the door. _Four!_ I think it was pretty obvious to everyone that it was probably an inside job, so..."

The blonde shrugs.

"...Did they ever find them?"

"The kiddie-snatcher?"

"The child."

"Don't think so. There were rumours amongst us that he was probably decomposing somewhere in the small lot behind the home. Some of us even went looking, hoping to see a body. That's dark, I know, but kids often are in a weirdly naive way. I don't think they ever found him, though. Kid was just a more literal version of what we sometimes called ourselves."

"What was that?"

"Smoke."

"... That's rather bleak."

Regina sighs unhappily, before theorising

"Maybe that's why it came to you, though."

"What?"

"That name from back then. You said Pan had accused you of being angry with your parents. Of not having forgiven them for making you feel like an orphan... Maybe it was on your mind."

She suggests, and for a moment she's terrified that Emma will point out the unspoken truth; that it's not her _parents_ she should be angry with in actual fact.

"Yeah. Maybe."

The blonde replies eventually, but neither of them are convinced.

"He'd be on to something."

"How do you mean?"

"That kid... They investigated him disappearing and it was a whole big shit-fest because it looked really shifty given where it happened... It went cold quick, though. Pretty soon, people stopped looking, even though there were so many unanswered questions. For the home, the damage was already done, but for a missing person's case, it just kind of trailed off into nothing. Kind of like the kid himself... It didn't _matter_ for very long. That's the thing you learn quickly when you're an orphan. You don't matter very much."

"Emma, that's-"

"-True. It's true. And quit looking at me like that. I'm not trying to have a heart to heart about any unresolved issues here, I'm simply saying it like it is... Because that's what Pan is trying to make Henry feel... I guess I'd never really thought before how easy that might be."

"...You and Henry are very different. Pan said those things to you because they touched on something inside you and he knew they would. I don't _know_ how much he knows, and it's a concerning thing to think about, but I _do_ know that he seems to understand you and how you function more so than the rest of us. Else he wouldn't single you out. Much as I hate to say it, dear, I suppose the simple fact of the matter is that you are in many ways Pan's _specialty_. You're his type. He knows how to get beneath your skin because you have the same insecurities- don't huff at me, that's what they are- as so many of the boys here. He knows what to say and how to twist the knife. Henry isn't _like_ you though, Emma. Henry has _always_ mattered, and he _knows_ that, even if he didn't always approve of some of my methods. I have always been there for him, and have always cared for him. I don't think three odd weeks without me as an infant will have caused that knowledge to waver."

Regina states firmly, before realising that her words don't have quite the comforting effect on the Sheriff as she'd perhaps been intending. Recalling the awkward, shy, well-meaning way Emma had put an arm around her the previous evening when trying to offer consolation, she points out softly

"You've proved again and again that Henry can count on you, Miss Swan. Much to my chagrin."

"... Do you think he knows we're looking for him?"

"Of _course_ he does."

"Even with Pan whispering doubt in his ear?"

"I believe so, yes. I _do_ think time is of the essence, and that we need to act fast, but _I_ know better than _anyone_ how strong Henry can be in his beliefs... Pan had better watch out."

Regina growls with such ferocity that it causes the blonde to smile. It is a wan, exhausted smile at first, but it slowly blossoms into a dark grin.

The kind of grin that speaks of grit and guts. That relishes a challenge.

The kind of grin that bites back.

* * *

Seething in the shadows, Pan turns and slips away, heading angrily back to his own camp. As he goes, he begins to formulate a plan to speed things along; stopping just once to concentrate and put his devious thoughts into action. By the time he enters the elaborate treehouse the boys call home, his spirits have once again lifted, and he stalks towards the young brunet sat talking to Felix and offers him a grin.

A grin that hints at malice.

A grin that's all teeth.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun! Please comment :)

**A/N:** _Dun dun dun! Enjoy! Please review :)_

* * *

"Where have you been?"

Henry asks Pan as he stalks into view, and the conniving imp shrugs his shoulders and takes a seat opposite his naive captive. A couple of boys shuffle aside to give him space without their leader uttering a word.

"Patrolling. The island has a visitor."

"Really?"

Henry asks eagerly, playing right into Pan's palm.

"Is it my mom?"

He doesn't elaborate or go on to define his question further and Pan smirks to himself before adopting an outwardly grave expression.

"No, Henry. A pirate."

"Hook?!"

"I believe so, yes. We were once better acquainted."

The Lost Boy offers vaguely, pretending that there is little more he has to say on the matter. The young brunet pipes up immediately

"If Hook's here, that means my mom must be here too! Emma would have gone with him, he likes her."

Henry explains with childish simplicity, and Pan grins, thinking that if the boy only _knew_ the course of events he has set into action he would find himself shocked. Horrified... Not to mention there's also the fact that his mothers have been 'making nice' themselves.

"Emma _has_ to be with him, my mom too! They're looking for me!"

The boy states boldly, and Pan allows his eyes to drop sorrowfully and shakes his head, lying

"I wondered if they would be, but I asked the pirate. He's here alone. He's here looking for an old acquaintance. He's brought no one with him. In fact, he seemed _surprised_ when I asked after your mothers. He said neither of them had left Storybrooke in their hunt to find you. They believe you're simply _gone_. If you ask me, it sounds like they've given up."

He sighs mournfully, and Henry shakes his head as he argues back

"No. You don't _know_ them. They wouldn't give up on me."

But, for the first time since joining the Lost Boys, a flicker of doubt finds otherwise intelligent eyes.

* * *

As a couple of dry branches snap at the south side of the clearing, Hook finally looks up to see Regina and Emma emerge from the trees. Up until now, he has sat with his head bent and mouth open, consumed by the map that lies open across his lap.

At first, he'd thought he was going crazy.

That the shadow might be turning him insane.

But such fears had only lasted for a second. Now, he understands that he is _perfectly_ sane. He understands that things have never made _more_ sense than they do right now.

A short while ago, he had simply been perusing the map; taking in the crudely illustrated landmarks that they have all come to realise are subject to change. He'd been looking over tiny, crosshatched trees and neat little cave systems while wondering deep down why in the hell he was even bothering. After all, as he has now come to understand, he has no interest in what the others seek. He has no interest in the boy.

He understands this now.

 _Isn't it funny how confused I was before? How little I_ understood _before the Shadow helped me see..._

He'd almost passed the map back to Tinkerbell; the disgraced fairy perched on the rock closest to his own and playing her fingers over the coconut half they'd found back in the caves.

Back when he'd still been lost.

Before he'd understood.

Lucky for him, he hadn't gotten so far. He'd been moving to fold up the weather-beaten paper, when something had caught his eye. A small marker located about a scale half mile away from the clearing in which they are currently camped. It had been a curious X and it had flashed at him right before his very eyes before becoming solid, red, and permanent. A little to the south, much closer to the camp, two more markers had appeared; one a wonderful, brilliant white and one a dark, odious black. He'd not needed the intricate cursive that had blossomed impossibly on the page to understand what those marks had been.

Thanks to the Shadow, he understands perfectly now.

The tiny contrasting dots depicting the two women that he'd watched stroll off thick as thieves flicker almost on top of each other, before fading slightly as the red X up above flashes once more, demandingly. He watches it ebb and wane like a beating heart with his eyes wide until the smaller dots below begin to travel up towards the marked clearing.

When the branches snap, he's finally roused from what had seemed like a trance.

Glancing back down at the page, he sees that the dots showing him Emma and Regina have disappeared, leaving just the red, beating X.

As he watches, it extends its flickering arms and bleeds down the page towards where the women had just been depicted, curling around the spot where Emma had been, before snatching back its sprawling tendrils and once more existing as just a small, static cross on the map.

"What are you looking at?"

Emma asks, interrupting his careful analysis of the information in his hand with a small grin. He can tell from the way that she stands and studies him that she's forgiven him for giving her cause for concern earlier.

He can tell from the way that she looks at him that she wants him.

Of _course_ she does. She's just been playing hard to get.

He understands this now.

The games played with Regina had been a test.

A cruel trick.

One for which she will have to regretfully pay, but nothing to worry himself over.

How funny that he had thought such a thing. How funny when it matters so little.

None of it matters. Not the Mayor, not the Charmings, and not the fairy who has come to tag along on this nightmare trip.

Only the Saviour matters.

She's what the island has brought him.

"I think I've found something."

He answers finally, and she raises a brow and takes a seat next to him on the rock, her leg touching his.

"What is it?"

Watching the blonde as she gazes over the map, he glances around at the others but they each seem momentarily involved with their own matters.

 _Good_.

"I'm not sure, to be honest, but this mark is new."

He explains, pointing to the red X that sits once more small and innocuous on the page.

"Yeah, you're right!"

Emma nods, and he can hear the excitement in her voice. Continuing swiftly- slyly- he says all the right things to get what he wants; wondering why on earth such cunning has eluded him up until now.

It's so obvious.

So simple.

Oh, he adores her, but she really is so _easily_ played.

"I think it might be your boy. Don't ask me how, but why _else_ would it have suddenly appeared?... I wanted to show you first though, Swan, before _jeopardising_ anything."

"Jeapor- how do you mean?"

"Well... It's been a long time since I last saw Tink, and maybe she's changed. I don't want to _judge_ , but this is your _boy_ at stake here, and-"

"-You don't trust her?"

Emma interrupts, and she sounds accepting rather than surprised.

 _Of course she does. I doubt Swan even fully trusts her own reflection_...

"Well... I wouldn't say _that_..."

He falters, appropriating a mildly guilty expression that suggests that's exactly what he's saying. This works a charm, as he'd known it would, and the blonde's ways come through strongly as she shrugs and responds simply

"Well, I don't. I don't know her."

"That's probably wise given what you have to lose."

Hook nods, deepening his grip on her.

"Do you think it really _could_ be Henry that made that mark appear?"

Emma asks wistfully, and the pirate smiles winningly and touches her lightly on the knee, before conspiring smoothly

"I'd say it's about time we did something to find out. Why don't you and I go and take a look, it's not far. If we see anything that looks like trouble we can come and get the others, but for now, when we're not even sure what that mark means-"

"-Let's keep it between us. You have your sword."

"And you have Neal's and your magic."

He feeds her easily, and he watches calmly as the blonde pushes herself up and throws the fairy a narrow-eyed glance.

"Ok, come on. Who _knows_ how Henry got the mark to appear- _if_ he did- but I don't want to leave him waiting!"

"Of course."

"Wait, we should get Regina-"

"-If we need back up, we will! But come on! The mark's fading!"

He warns, and he doesn't need to look down at the map to see that this is true.

Of course it's fading.

What better reason to spur the blonde into immediate action.

"Shit! Ok, come on. Stay close."

She warns, and she leads them swiftly away from the camp and slips from the clearing; taking the map from him fretfully and stalking quickly through the thickening trees.

Hook follows her, dizzy with anticipation.

* * *

Taking a seat beside Tink, Regina sighs as she ponders the ever dismal sky above.

"This place is heavy with a storm that threatens but never comes."

She muses, and the fairy contemplates this for a moment before shaking her head.

"It comes. Just you wait. There are plenty of storms to hit this island... Just look at last night."

_Heavy rain, numbing wind, and cold hands roaming beneath her sweater. A storm had hit them last night indeed. A storm that has been brewing for the best part of a year now._

"I suppose you're right."

"Well, I'm practically a local."

Tink shrugs, and her voice is bitter.

"You don't _have_ to stay here once this is all over. Come back with us."

"If that's your form of an apology, then-"

"-It's an offer. Nothing less, nothing more. But it's a better proposition than staying here with a glorified preteen running the land."

"He's not-"

"-But if you'd rather sulk, then go right ahead."

"... I'm not."

Tinkerbell sighs, stopping short of explaining what she knows to the brunette for the simple fact that she has no way of comprehending the importance of what she has come to believe to be the truth.

_He's not a boy. Not really. He looks like one, and acts like one, but his thoughts and his fancies are not those of any boy... No boy would fathom such darkness._

"Where have you been?"

Is all she says.

"Talking with Emma."

"What about?"

"The island. Pan. Henry..."

"You miss him."

"Very much so. What about you and the others- what have you been discussing."

"Well, with Snow, the topic has centred mainly around Baelfire- though she calls him Neal- and a common acquaintance; that little blue bitch. I hear she's a nun now?"

"Mother Superior, actually."

"Christ. And I guess that's _your_ doing?"

"In a way. I didn't assign exact roles and occupations when casting the curse, but the cards fell more or less where they should."

"Sounds it... Anyway, the Charmings have been bickering amongst themselves on how best to approach talking with Emma about trying a new approach to defence strategies and Hook's been looking at the map."

"I'd like to take a look at that myself, actually... Where is he?"

She looks around for the pirate, but other than the silhouette of Mary Margaret and David by the fire, the clearing seems deserted.

"I'm not sure. He was just here."

Tink frowns. Regina's brow furrows to match, and she looks briefly over her shoulder before continuing perplexedly

"Well, he's _not_ here. And where's Emma?"


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Uh oh. Enjoy, review, you know the drill :)

Further along the narrow slice through the trees that Regina and Tinkerbell are only just embarking on, Emma calls over her shoulder as she stalks quickly through dead leaves that crunch beneath her boots. She has tied her sweater around her waist- having warmed up considerably due to her frenzied pace- and her arms sport sporadic beads of blood from where she has brushed against thorns carelessly.

"Come on, keep up."

She scolds Hook, and he jogs for a second to catch up with the blonde and regards her shrewdly.

"You know, you should be more careful, Swan."

"How'd you figure?"

She replies, eyes cast down to the map in her hands. Still, she injects her tone with an audible note of defiance in the face if being told how to handle herself. It is a note the pirate knows well, his pre-shadow days- pre _enlightenment_ days, filled with that harsh spike marring otherwise soft words. It is a different breed of haughtiness than that used by Regina- else he wouldn't find the Sheriff so appealing; the Queen's regal superiority much less to his taste- but it is a haughtiness none the less.

"You may be less dismissive of your injuries should you come into contact with Dreamshade."

Her points out, gesturing towards a dry splash of maroon tracking the inside of her wrist. She glances down distractedly and responds with a sharp expulsion of air through her nose.

"Wouldn't exactly call those ' _injuries_ '."

She scoffs carelessly, and he shrugs and continues

"The merest _prick_ of Dreamshade and you're in trouble, love."

"I'll keep an eye out."

She replies, but nothing in her voice or expression suggests that she's all that bothered about nefarious flora, or anything he has to say.

 _Oh, but you_ will _be. You'll soon be hanging on my every word. As you should. As you really_ should _, Swan._

"Does this look right to you?"

She interrupts his fantasising, and she comes to a stop with the map held out so that they can both see. There is a fork in the trees up ahead, one direction becoming overgrown and shadowed quickly, the other much the same as their trekking to this point.

"Looks like we should be going that way."

Emma says, nodding towards the darkness.

"Yes, it does, doesn't it?"

Hook agrees, allowing her to lead the way. He follows on behind, once blue eyes blackening as they journey deeper into the Shadow.

* * *

"Hey, wait up!"

Tink grumbles, hurrying to catch up with the brunette. Regina turns to her, brows drawn together with disquiet.

"We're at _least_ five minutes from the camp now."

She muses, and the fairy nods, massaging a stitch in her side.

"Yeah, I'd say so too. But why do we have to walk so _fast_?"

"Don't you think it's _odd_?"

"What's odd?"

"Don't you think that whatever Emma and Hook might have walked off for would be nearby? We've not even _been_ this way yet, so why would they go off without us?"

"Beats me."

Tinkerbell shrugs, not sharing the queen's apparent concern in the slightest. She has a stormy past with the pirate, and the blonde's narrow glower makes her feel rather uncomfortable.

"If Emma knew anything new about the island or Henry, she would have said..."

"Yeah, I guess she might have told her parents. Though they do seem a little full on."

"Terribly so, but I don't suppose they can help it given the circumstances."

"Well-"

"-And she would have come and told _me_ , even if she hadn't told the others."

"Well... Maybe she told Hook instead."

Tink suggests indifferently, and the Mayor clenches her jaw as this innocent theory fills her with a definite barb of jealousy.

"I doubt it."

She reprimands cooly, and the fairy splays her palms in a gesture that proposes she doesn't much care either way as they continue to follow the suggestive track of snapped branches and scuffed dirt.

"There's just something about this that feels odd."

Regina mutters, and Tinkerbell sighs but remains at her side; eyes narrowing for just a second as she recalls the arguably strange way the pirate had been acting shortly before disappearing off with the blonde, before shrugging it off.

_Why add smoke to apparent fire?_

* * *

"I don't get it."

Emma snaps, looking down at the map and back up at Hook. There is a slight rasp of salt in her otherwise irritable tone, and the part of him that had once been so susceptible to bothering about such things supposes that she might be feeling distraught.

"It was _there_! It was right _there_!"

She insists, shaking the map where the little red X has flickered into non-existence, leaving them stood cluelessly in the middle of an ominous circle of trees.

"It's gone, but this is the place; I'm sure of it."

"It is."

Hook nods simply, watching the blonde as she ignores him in favour of glaring accusingly around them.

_Oh, she'll learn. She won't ignore me much longer._

"There's no sign of Henry, though. There's no sign of _anyone_ here."

She laments, and the pirate notes that the bare flesh of her arms is stippled with the chill of the air.

"There's no one here."

Hook states coolly, and when she looks at him, he's intrigued to see that her lashes are wet.

"I can _see_ that!"

She snarls at him furiously, and he sighs; tired of playing the game the others wish to play.

"He was never here."

He informs her casually, and she looks at him with such an expression of incomprehension that he laughs.

"What do you mean? What did you follow me all the way _here_ for, then?!"

She cries, aiming to call him out for being a fool, but the anger in her voice belies a hopelessness she's never liked putting on show.

"It's just you and me here, Emma."

The pirate smiles, and he watches as her face falls slowly, not quite with apprehension, but something just shy of it.

"We should get back to camp."

She murmurs woodenly, and Hook says nothing. In the face of this nothingness, she frowns, before rolling the map up in a couple of rough, irritable jerks of her hands and clenching it in her fist like a baton. A weapon.

Her sword, once slung over her shoulder, now hangs over Hook's; having been handed to him when she'd stripped off her sweater and subsequently forgotten as the pirate had never made any move to give it back.

"Come on."

She growls, moving to stalk past him, and he catches her wrist with an iron grip that has her making a small note of discomfort and surprise.

"Hey, what are you-"

"-Come now, Swan. Stop with the act."

" _What_ act? What the hell are you-"

"-Stop. You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about. Correct?"

"I-"

* * *

"Which way?"

Tink asks, looking from one fork in the path to the other. She can sense that the tension in the brunette has grown in the last couple of minutes, and she regards her uncertainly.

"I can't tell, there's too many leaves to see tracks."

Regina frowns.

"Look, I'm sure everything's _fine_. Hell, I bet Hook and your friend are back at camp already! They probably didn't even head this way, and-"

"-She's not my friend."

The Queen snaps automatically, dark eyes flickering from one choice to the other.

"She's not my friend, but she did come this way, I can just tell."

"Hmm... Sounds more like creepy _soulmate_ kind of stuff there, I-"

"-Shut up. You go that way, I'll take this way."

She orders, stalking off into the shadows without another word.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: warning for some mild (stopped) violence/ non-con. I always feel weird saying 'enjoy' on these types of chapters, but I hope it reads well and that it sets things up for further scenes that ARE enjoyable. Reviews would be lovely! :)

"Hook, seriously, what are you _doing_?"

Emma demands, looking down to where his hand encircles her wrist so forcefully that his knuckles are blanched white. There is no immediate panic in her voice, rather a definite note of annoyance, although her fingers tingle as the delicate bones in his grip grate painfully, and she's vaguely concerned that they might soon snap.

"What is your _problem_?!"

She snaps, and Hook shakes his head pitifully as he goads

"There's no problem. None from my point of view. But _you_ , Swan... You need to relax. You need to stop playing games."

" _What_ games?! I'm not-"

But she's cut short, letting out a winded yelp as the pirate shoves her forcefully against the rough husk of a dying tree.

"Hook!"

And now there _is_ just a little panic in her tone; entirely stunned by her companion's behaviour.

"Let me up! What are you-"

But even as she searches his face for an answer as to why he's doing this, she supposes deep down she has clue of just _what_ seems to be going on; she just can't quite _believe_ it. She opens her mouth to order him yet again to get the hell off of her, before he leans in with clear intent and she decides she's done trying to reason with him. Bringing her knee up into his groin with little consideration of their past camaraderie, she cries out as his grip on her wrist tightens as he sinks down on one knee. She'd expected him to let go after her savage act of retaliation, and she stumbles into him as he yanks at her roughly, sending an icy splinter of agony shooting up her arm.

"Let _go_ of me!"

She snarls, as the pirate works his way back to his feet a little clumsily as his focus is on keeping his grip on the blonde. He has no idea why she's kicking so much of a fuss up about this. After all, it's what he _wants_ , doesn't the little bitch get that? He can feel the bones in her wrist move inside his fist- small, fragile, birdlike- and he supposes if she keeps on with her futile arguing he's going to have to break them. It would be a shame; some dull, lost part inside him that had once been running the show before letting the Shadow take root aches at the thought of hurting Emma, and that part still exists, but it's floating around untethered and confused.

"Stop."

He warns her pleasantly, supposing it's not _his_ fault if she makes him hurt her. He's simply going through the motions to take what he wants. What's rightfully his. It's simply the way of the island.

_Call this foreplay if you will, love._

What will be will be he decides- squeezing warningly- because he can't let her go, _surely_ she can see that? If he lets her go, she will outrun him, he's almost sure of it.

And the look on her face says that she _will_ run.

"Get off me."

She warns again, this time low and furious, and he rolls his eyes as he kills her belief that she's in any position of control here and garners a breathless shriek as he moves; suddenly chaotic and frantic, as they scuffle violently, kicking up large plumes of dust.

"Killian, I _mean_ it!"

She pants, and he laughs affectionately as she is no state to be threatening _anything_. His chuckling arouses new fury in the blonde and she kicks and bites at him- _actually_ bites _! Oh my!_ \- as she tries her best to break free of his hold, but their fighting has left her with her arm forced behind her back, and it's an angle that offers the pirate a cruel upper hand. The vague and panicked thought that she should try and ward him off with her magic swims amongst the haze of other thoughts and concerns flickering senselessly in her mind, but her power is something she has yet to learn to fully control, and with each frantic attempt to harness it, she loses track as she reacts to what's going on physically between them.

"Please don't do this?"

She reasons; attempting a new approach that leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. Some of that taste is blood, she's fairly sure- whether her own or the Pirate's she hasn't a clue- but mostly it comes down to the fact that begging- even in the unemotional way she's trying now- is something she's always sworn she would never do.

_It's not begging, not really. Not when it might prevent what's going to happen..._

But she cuts her thoughts off there; not quite able to accept- let alone _understand_!- what it is she believes to be the proposed conclusion of their scuffle, and not willing to give it a name. Not willing to think that word.

"Please?"

She tries again, before switching back to swearing at him venomously when he ignores her grossly indulgent damsel act. She hits out with her free hand and catches him squarely in the nose- a faucet of blood erupting over his mouth and chin- and she feels a momentary flicker of hope as his grip on her wrist loosens a little, before a husky shriek spills from her throat as he grabs at her blindly; feeling first a sharp pain flare up in her cheek, and then a deeper slice of white heat pierce her hip.

"Ah- _uhf_!"

She gasps unintelligibly as they land heavily in the dirt; the pirate on top of her and dripping hot blood onto her upturned face.

"I think you... I think you...-"

She pants, before falling silent as he stares down at her, eyes glittering with menace, but they are not his eyes, not his at all, and her own eyes widen with sudden understanding

"Fuck!"

* * *

The brunette freezes in her tracks, catching the messy sounds of leaves being kicked around and branches snapping. This curious frenzy is accented with sharp staccato barks that she knows belong to the Sheriff, accompanied by the pirate's soft laughter and the occasional grunt that she can't pin down to one or the other.

 _What on_ earth _are they doing?_

She frowns, but her mind- that hateful traitor- pipes up what's usually the case when a couple grunt and thrash away from prying eyes. Her first thought is one of jealousy, but it doesn't last long. She's known Emma for quite some time now- has known her intimately in every way _possible_ after last night- and something about the pitch and tone of the younger woman seems off to her.

_Oh, so you're basing Emma's sensual vocals on one night cramped inside a tent?_

She hisses vehemently at her mind to shut up, but it is a half-hearted plea as she has already decided that something about this situation isn't right at all.

_There's nothing sensual about those sounds..._

No, and however cruel she might once have been to the younger woman, no matter how many illicit and sordid implications she might once have put upon her, she knows that it's simply not at all likely that Emma will have decided to sneak off with Hook to relieve some tension. Last night had been different- a culmination of a great many things- but it had also been strangely natural. It had been in the face of the cold and in the face of a million unspoken emotions. It hadn't been planned, and it hadn't been as an escape from fretting over their son. Emma has one soul directive on this island, and the thought of her playing secretive, sinful games instead of focusing on the task at hand is- surprisingly!- doubtful.

A shriek- breathless and suddenly cut short- and dark eyes widen as any thoughts that whatever is going on is at the blonde's pleasure are swiftly thwarted.

Hurrying on through the thickening darkness, she spills out into a small, overgrown clearing and stills.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing!?"

She cries, causing Hook and the Sheriff to pause in their resumed tussle. She drinks in the blood spattered over each parties' face, and shouts furiously

"Get off of her! _Now_!"

But she doesn't wait for the pirate to comply, and instead raises her hands and sends him hurtling into the cruel bark of the tree he had so recently pushed the blonde up against. Stalking closer with her teeth bared in rage, she raises her hands once again to impart a second blow to the man struggling to get to his feet with a dazed expression. She feels sick, both with anger and with shock, as the position in which she'd found the others had been only too telling. And it's not just her newfound affection for the Sheriff that's feeding her wrath now, although this- and her longer standing hidden respect for the younger woman- does play a significant role, but also the sheer _repulsiveness_ of the situation, and the words that leave her mouth are both those of the Evil Queen and those of a woman

"You're going to pay for this..."

She confides, purple fury glowing at her fingertips, and the blonde pushes herself up onto her elbows and calls out sharply

"Wait! Regina! It's not him! It's not Hook!"

"What?"

The brunette snaps, looking back at Emma who struggles to push herself to her feet; her complexion startlingly pale in contrast to the vibrant scarlet splashed across her face.

"It's the Shadow."

The younger woman explains croakily, having managed to get to her feet, but standing bent over with a grimace. She looks up into dark eyes uncertainly, requesting

"Don't... Don't _kill_ him, Regina. It's not really him, and if you do..."

She doesn't say the rest, but the woman once ostracised for her dark past understands what has been left implied, and she clenches her teeth as the logical part of her mind knows that Emma's right, but the intense anger that sits poisonously in her chest begs the question of why she should care.

"Regina..."

"Fine."

She snarls, flicking her wrist and sending the pirate falling limply into the dirt.

"Regina!"

"He's fine. He'll wake up in a couple of hours."

The brunette grumbles dismissively, making her way over to the Sheriff and touching her uncertainly on the shoulder.

"Are you alright? What on earth _happened_?!"

"I don't know..."

Emma sighs, aware that she trembles- thoroughly shaken- and striving to regain mastery over her body so as not to appear weak in any way.

"I _really_ don't know. I couldn't understand why he would _do_ that to me, but when I finally looked at him properly, I could see it, you know? I could see it in his eyes that it wasn't really him. It was the Shadow. I _told_ you the Shadow was dangerous..."

She snaps, and the Mayor nods, studying the blonde shrewdly as she catalogues scuffs and scrapes and angry red marks at the younger woman's wrist.

"I know. I know, you did. I believed you, dear. You _know_ I did. But I had no clue that it would be capable of something like _this_..."

She laments, cupping the blonde's jaw gently and assessing the vibrant blossoms of blood colouring her face.

 _God, there's so_ much _of it..._

Emma seems to understand the reason behind her anxious frown, and she appeases quietly

"It's cool. It's not mine. I hit him in the face."

"Good."

The brunette scoffs with an air of characteristic contempt that doesn't quite mask her disquiet. She supposes the fact that the blood painting the younger woman from jaw to forehead isn't her own should be obvious- the droplets splashed and spattered in a nightmare pattern all over the place- but fear tends to skew what is otherwise plain to see, and she smiles thinly before shaking her head and touching the Sheriff's left cheek gently.

"That's not Hook's. That's yours."

She frowns, able to see a sizeable gash that wells darker blood than the rest of the blonde's scarlet war paint.

"Ouch. Yeah."

Emnma winces, before studying the brunette nervously and admitting

"I'm not sure that's the biggest concern, though."

"What do you...-"

Regina trails off, lips pursed in apprehension as she watches the younger woman go gingerly about untying her black sweater from around her waist.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Because it's gonna get awkward with the Charmings around. I've just discovered that I've eaten an entire pack of mint Oreos while writing this chapter. Oops. Thanks for all the lovely reviews for last chapter! Enjoy this one :)

 

Regina watches as the blonde unties her sweater from her waist; the black wool hiding any sins, and she holds her breath as Emma's previous comment and the grim set to her jaw suggest that the younger woman might be about to impart some bad news.

"What is it?"

She prompts impatiently, but there is a softness to her tone, and she is aware that her own hands shake in the pockets of her coat; entirely stunned by what she'd just walked in on. Emma doesn't answer, and simply succeeds in loosening the knot in the sweater's sleeves, before letting it fall to the floor.

"Oh."

She muses quietly, looking down at herself, and Regina swallows before adding in an unnaturally high voice

"Emma..."

Dark blood stains the younger woman's tank top in a gruesome maroon rose low on her left side. Plucking back the grey fabric gingerly, Emma wrinkles her nose as she uncovers a deep wound- almost more of a hole than a cut- surrounded in slick gore that has been spread and smeared by her top. It continues to bleed- slowly, but darkly- and she pulls a face as she looks back up at the brunette who watches on with an expression of numb horror.

"Shit."

The Sheriff comments dryly, and Regina snaps from her momentary stupor and laments anxiously

"What on earth _happened_?!"

She looks over at the crumpled heap of the pirate, but notes that his sword- _and Emma's! Why does he have Emma's?!_ \- remain sheathed. Taking a few steps closer, looking for some kind of dagger or knife, she glances up when Emma muses quietly

"He was grabbing at me. I think his hook just went right in when he tried to grab at my waist."

"Huh! Well, that's what _happens_ when you choose to waste your time messing with the mind of a handless wonder!"

The Queen snaps, and the younger woman's eyes widen in a mixture of shock, anger and hurt as she warns

"Regina!"

A little stunned that the brunette would be quite so spiteful given what's just happened. Her surprise only grows and she lets out a bemused grunt as the Mayor proceeds to follow up her rather insensitive remark with a fierce embrace; catching her _completely_ off guard. The darker woman lets go almost immediately, as if suddenly aware of what she's doing and who she's doing it to, but the look she throws Emma says the rest, and the blonde bites her lip and lowers her eyes. The look Regina gives her is one of anxious disquiet, and the younger woman understands that it is not a case of wanting to belittle recent events that had pulled such a callous remark from the Queen's lips, but rather shock and feeling entirely unnerved. Looking back up, she squares her jaw and warns

"I'm not sure how in the hell it would have given Pan an _advantage_ if that had... You know... Gone to plan... But he must have been up to _something!_ That little shit just upped the game, and it's going to feel even _sweeter_ when I skewer him through with my sword.

With these words, she stalks over to Hook and bends to retrieve her weapon, before biting back a yelp and dropping the sword in favour of clutching her side.

"Ouch."

She scoffs gruffly, forcing herself back up and adopting a grimace that doesn't quite stay masked behind the careless shrug of her shoulders. Hot blood seeps between her fingers, and Regina swallows- transfixed- as the dangerous claret contrasts vividly with paper white fingers.

"Let me see."

She orders quietly, beginning to make her way over towards the blonde before catching the disturbed look Emma flashes down towards the pirate, and beckoning her over instead so that they stand a little way away.

"I'm fine."

Emma responds predictably, but the Mayor ignores her and pulls gently at the hem of the younger woman's shirt herself.

"Here, hold still."

She advises, raising her hand and offering a quick warning glance up at the Sheriff before allowing her magic to flow.

" _Ah_!"

Emma chokes, and the brunette frowns, opening her mouth to scold the idiot blonde that it shouldn't hurt and to stop messing around, before retracting her hand quickly when the younger woman's pained grunt becomes a scream.

" _Hey_! Hey, what's wrong?! Emma, I-"

"-Fuck, that _burns_!"

The blonde snaps at her, and Regina looks anxiously from her hand to panicked green eyes.

"It shouldn't..."

She replies uncertainly, reaching out once again and sighing when Emma immediately shies from her with an angry glower.

"Well, it _does_!"

The Sheriff growls furiously, and Regina begins to argue, before supposing that she really doesn't think the blonde to be one for over-exaggerating. Frowning, she muses uncertainly

"I've never used my magic on you, come to think of it... "

"Yes, you have. I had bruises for a _week_ after you decided to send me flying down your garden path."

Emma grumbles, and the Mayor sighs and shakes her head, insisting with a little more conviction

"No, I haven't. I mean, yes, I've used it to knock you about a little, but I've never really tried using my magic specifically _on_ you to hurt or to heal."

"Apple pastry, garden path, you put a fucking death curse on the well before thinking better of it..."

Emma counts off on her fingers, and Regina rolls her eyes as she snaps back irritably

"Not _one_ of those situations involved me using my magic on you _directly_... And who told you about the well?"

She frowns.

"Ruby."

"Figures... Need I remind you, Miss Swan, that I-"

"-Saved us, yeah, I know. I'm not annoyed, I was just arguing with you."

Emma explains dryly, and Regina rubs at her temples as she fixes the blonde with a truly bemused glower and sighs

"I wish you wouldn't."

"Really? I've grown to suspect you kind of like it."

The younger woman grins, before subduing any further retort as she glances down a little nervously to where her hand rests slick and scarlet at her hip. Pulling the at the blonde's wrist in order to study the wound, the Mayor continues in a softer tone.

"I suppose it makes sense."

"What does?"

"That I can't use my magic on you to heal you. You're the Saviour."

"Cora used-"

"-My mother never shared the relationship with you that I do."

"...Relationship?"

Emma asks uncomfortably, and Regina looks up with a small smirk, before explaining seriously

"Our relationship through fate. You being the Saviour; the product of true love and the key to the curse, and me being the one who cast it. You are a player on my chessboard, if you will, and as such, there are rules. I'd given it a little thought back when you and Mary Margaret first came back, but it soon got lost with the rest of my sanity while following you lot through a hell of your own making."

"Says the woman who cast the Dark Curse..."

"Ah, I merely set up the pieces, dear. You were the ones that then went knocking them all down."

"Regina, you-... No. You know what? I'm not even going to go there... So what are the _rules_ or whatever?"

"Well, I'm theorising here, but as I have never tried to heal someone only to end up unintentionally hurting them all the more, I'd say I have some fair evidence for my hypothesis."

"Can't you ever just speak _normally_?"

"... I can't do anything to hurt or heal you because you are the by-product of my curse. My magic can't be used on you directly because that would alter the odds. Others can, I can't. I can't touch you, Emma."

She finishes, and she waits for some form of juvenile innuendo, but the blonde simply nods; her face ashen beneath drying blood.

"You tried to poison me."

"Yes, but that wasn't a direct threat, it was attempted through an agent; an item... Nor did you ever actually _taste_ my offering. We have no way of _knowing_ what might have happened."

"I guess. Sorry to ruin that little experiment."

The younger woman goads with a small grin, but her usual impish sarcasm is lacking, and Regina touches her arm gently and guides her towards the largest tree that lines the clearing.

"Sit."

She commands with gentle authority, and Emma does as she says a little awkwardly and sighs.

"This is all so fucked up."

"I know."

The brunette replies quietly, perching beside her with an arrogant scowl at the forest floor.

"I need to dress this..."

The blonde murmurs, and the Queen isn't sure if it's the note of unease or the not quite hidden waver of pain in the younger woman's voice, but she looks away swiftly before she can betray just how deeply she's astounded to find she cares.

"I'm sure your mother brought something with her-"

"-No."

Emma interrupts immediately, and the darker woman's brow furrows as she studies the Sheriff shrewdly

"What do you _mean_ , no?"

"I don't want my parents to know about any of this!"

The blonde hisses, and Regina considers telling her not to be so stubborn and to acknowledge the precarious position she's currently in, before abandoning the idea. Neither one of them has properly voiced what had happened between Hook and the blonde, but the potential despicableness narrowly escaped sits heavily in the air between them. Pushing herself up without a word, she walks over to the discarded heap of Emma's sweater and picks it up; casting a wary eye at the pirate as she goes. Stalking over to him, she rolls him over with the toe of her boot and finds what she's looking for. Unclasping the canteen from his waist, she takes it back with her and resumes her seat beside the Sheriff.

"Here."

She offers softly, wetting the sleeve of the sweater and leaning forwards to wipe gently at the blonde's face; suddenly sickened by the gore and its _reality_ painted across sharp features.

"Ugh."

Emma grumbles, pulling a face as Regina rubs soggy wool over her lips, and she sticks her tongue out childishly before wincing when the Mayor dabs at the cut to her cheek.

"Not sure that's helping..."

She sarks, and dark eyes roll as the brunette points out

"It's serving to make you look quite a lot less _ghoulish_!"

She desists all the same, and isn't altogether sure how much truth lies in her irritable statement. The skin she has exposed is disconcertingly chalky yet raw, and dirty smears still linger down one side of the younger woman's nose and across her jaw.

"A bit of water's not going to do your side any good, though."

She admits, and she catches the Sheriff bristle up ready to argue against going back to camp and hushes her swiftly

"I understand why you might be reluctant to go back to the others. I'm not saying I find your decision _wise_ -"

"-No surprise there-"

"-but I _understand_ it."

Regina finishes with a cursory scowl.

"Can't you-"

Emma starts, but she stops, frozen, as a loud snapping of branches sounds from the east. Meeting the Mayor's uneasy stare, she mouths at her

"If there's a lot of them, you have to run..."

Before throwing her dropped sword an irritable glance. Struggling to push herself to her feet, she manages her hands and knees with a grimace, and begins a sly crawl over towards her weapon as Regina flanks her- almost crouching- with her hands ready and eyes flickering wildly from tree to tree.

Another snap and the scuffled sound of leaves, and Emma grabs the sword and uses it as a crutch to push herself up; soundlessly moving with the brunette to stand back to back, the front of her top now a maroon nightmare.

"Show yourself!"

The Queen orders loudly, and the rustling in the trees stops for a second, before crescendoing swiftly towards them.

"Regina!"

Tinkerbell cries as she bats a low hanging branch out of her way and steps into the clearing.

"About time! I've been looking for you for-... What the hell's going on?"

The fairy asks, looking at the two women stood ready for battle curiously, before her eyes widen as they sweep over towards the fallen pirate.

"What did you do to him?!"

She asks, looking back at Emma, and Regina swears she can _hear_ the younger woman clench her jaw, and she interrupts sternly

"I did that."

"Yeah? Why?"

Tink frowns, looking from Regina to Emma, and her brows raise as she notes the blood that dirties the younger woman's face, and the ominous stain still blossoming across the front of her shirt.

"Woah, what _happened_ to you?"

She asks, and while Regina has known the disgraced fairy long enough to appreciate the note of concern in her tone- not so easily discerned to those not familiar with her, and easily mistaken for callous intrigue- she knows Emma _better_ , and she hastily steps in front of the Sheriff before the latter can think about putting her sword to use.

"Hook attacked her. Somehow the Shadow got into him."

She replies, leaving out the specifics, and Tink seems to think on this, before nodding with a low whistle and a commiserating

"Ouch. Are you okay?"

Towards Emma. The blonde responds automatically

"I'm fine."

Before frowning and asking curiously

"Do you know about the Shadow?"

This thought suddenly occurs to the brunette also, and she takes a step back to stand beside Emma and probes deeper

"Have you seen it? Pan's Shadow? Do you know what it wants?"

"Wants? It wants what Pan wants... I've seen it. Wish I hadn't, but I have."

"It got inside him."

Emma reiterates, looking at Hook with an uneasy frown, and Tinkerbell nods once again as she walks over to the pirate and studies him briefly.

"Yeah. I've seen it do that a few times; get into one of the boys. It's rare, though. Why do you think he did it? Why Hook?"

"... Who knows."

Regina replies quietly, not needing to look at Emma to know that she'll be keeping her mouth firmly shut.

"He was the weakest."

Tinkerbell continues, and dark brows raise as green eyes narrow contemplatively.

"Weakest?"

"That's why Pan will have chosen him. He'd have seen him as most likely to give in to the Shadow's promises."

"Promises of what?"

The Sheriff asks woodenly, and the fairy throws her a surprised glance, before answering as though it should be obvious

"Well, _I_ don't know that, do I? The Shadow is as much a part of the island as it is of Pan these days. The island gives people what they want, they just have to believe. The Shadow just helps those with certain moral or stubborn logical issues along. I don't _know_ what Hook will have wanted, but the Shadow would have let him believe he could and should have it. Looks like you got in the way of that, though."

She shrugs, looking at Emma, and the blonde's face falls as she contemplates this and replies glumly

"Oh. Yeah, I guess so."

Glancing at the younger woman out of the corner of her eye, Regina steps forward and addresses Tinkerbell assertively to move attention away from the awkwardness currently flickering between them.

_I've bullied and taunted you about it something rotten, Swan, but mostly just to bask in your reaction. I guess neither you or I really knew what was in Hook's heart, and now it has come to light, but sullied in the most vile of ways._

"Emma needs help. We need something we can use as a dressing, and we're going to need shelter."

She adds this last on as an afterthought as the dark sky above rumbles ominously.

"Camp's back over-"

"-Not camp. We need to sort her out first."

Regina interrupts firmly, and Tinkerbell looks from the darker woman to her fair companion and sighs.

 _Of_ course _the woman wants to make things difficult. Of_ course _she has an ego she can't swallow down. Just like Pan's boys. So rough and tough, of course she is; needing her own damn sword to keep her stood standing._

 _I'm just surprised_ Regina _is going along with such nonsense when it serves her no personal purpose._

"Fine. We'll head for the shore. There's a place there we can go. It's closer to Pan's camp though, and closer to the Lost Boys."

"Is it enclosed, and will there be supplies to try and dress the wound?"

The Queen asks.

"It's small, but it's covered. There's salt water and whatever's growing on the way. You might need to get creative."

"Then we'll take it in turns to stand as look-out."

Regina states with an air of finality, before all three of them shoot a glance over at Hook who remains crumpled in the dirt.

"... What do we do with him?"


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Enjoy :) Sorry I've been a little quiet, I was away and then work got crazy. Also, a couple of you mentioned that Regina not being able to use her magic on Emma was incorrect- I know it's not how it's ever described in the show (though, we've never seen Regina actually try to heal Emma that I can remember?) but it was an idea I originally used for my 'Hospital' oneshot that I thought worked quite well and decided to use again here as it serves the story :) So, yes; not canon, but not anything anyone has missed when watching! :) Hope you enjoy, and please review!

_"... What do we do with him?"_

Tinkerbell watches as a loaded glance is shared between the other two women; Emma's throat rippling as she swallows before looking down at the pirate with a stony expression. Regina's brow contorts with a more obvious breed of contempt, and she nudges the limp man none too gently with the toe of her boot.

"Leave him here?"

She suggests, not sharing out loud that she harbours the cruel hope that in doing so the pirate might catch hypothermia and perish. She imagines that's the sort of thing that might be considered 'unhelpful', and besides, spoken wishes rarely come true...

"You think?"

Emma asks uncertainly, glancing back up at the Mayor with a troubled expression.

"What about the others at the camp?"

She elaborates, and full lips thin bitterly as the brunette is fairly certain that the rest of them are quite safe, but she doesn't say so in front of the fairy. In the end, she doesn't have to, as Tink speaks up calmly

"They should be fine. The Shadow will have left him once he went down; it has no use in inhabiting an empty vessel. Nor the patience!"

"I didn't see it leave."

The Sheriff frowns uneasily, and Tinkerbell sighs as she points out irritably

"I _think_ I'd know more than _you_ about how this all works."

Her vexed tone is met by a narrowing of green eyes- made all the more unsettling by a remaining splash of blood caught in the arrogant arch of the blonde's left brow- as Emma snaps back venomously

"I think I have more at _stake_ than you do."

Massaging her temples as she looks from one woman to the other, Regina grumbles sullenly

"Ugh. Blondes."

Beneath her breath before turning to the fairy and backing up the Sheriff's statement with a little less acid.

"If you're wrong, we're putting Snow and Charming in danger. I never thought I'd say this, but- that's _really_ not something we want to risk."

Tink opens her mouth to answer back angrily- getting a bit damned tired of the other two ganging up on her- before she catches the way the Saviour's grip on her sword's hilt is white-knuckled and tense, and studying the dark stain that paints the lower half of her abdomen.

"I'm not wrong."

She assures quietly, and she watches as the Queen and her companion exchange a glance once more, before Regina matches her tone with a nod of her head.

"Alright. If you're sure, that might actually work in our favour."

"How so?"

"I can feed him a line; a false memory. When he wakes up, he will find the others and tell them we've discovered something on the map and that they're not to worry in our absence. It will keep them protected and alert rather than fretting that Emma's wandered off with the enemy."

She points lazily at herself- half joking- but there is no hint of amusement in the younger woman's expression. Instead, Emma shudders, looking down at the map that lies forgotten in the dirt and quickly away. It was the map that brought her here. The map that almost led to her getting-

"-You're not the enemy."

She states quietly, and Regina raises a brow as she studies the blonde for a moment, before accepting this fact with a small tilt of her jaw and continuing seriously

"No. I suppose not. I believe Tink that Hook poses no further threat, so if you're in accordance with what _little_ plan that we have, I'd suggest we make a move, dear. It looks like the weather is about to turn on us, and we need to get you sorted out."

"I'm fine."

Emma retorts automatically, but she's beginning to wonder if she actually is. Her vision seems to be becoming a little fuzzy at the edges, and she can't decide if she's too hot or ice cold, and she's fairly sure she's going to vomit soon. She's not sure if this last is due to the great big hole in her side, or a belated response to recent events, but she'd rather not find out in front of the others either way.

"You don't look it."

Tinkerbell informs her solemnly, and Regina speaks up swiftly before the other two start chewing each other out once again.

 _Honestly, dear, do you stir up such irritation in_ everyone _you meet?_

It's a notion that lends her a smirk rather than the cool disdain it once might have, and she bends over before the others can catch her misplaced affection and rests her hand on the Pirate's cheek. A deep loathing overcomes her as she touches his flesh, and she feels both vindicated and guilty at the same time. She's never been Hook's biggest fan, but nor has she particularly disliked him; the majority of her taunts and sniping comments made for the sole purpose of winding up Emma. She knows it's not really Hook's fault; that he hadn't been himself just now. Seeing him with the blonde at his mercy the way she had been though had sickened her; the Sheriff thrashing and kicking up angry torrents of dust while striving to thwart the Pirate's attempts to wrestle open her jeans. She'd seen. Seen what was happening before the others had frozen when aware of her arrival. She'd also seen how it had been a battle the blonde had been in danger of losing.

_If Tink and I hadn't come out here trying to find them..._

But she pushes those thoughts away briskly.

They _had_ come out, and they _had_ found them. Everything's alright. Everything's-

"-uhf."

She frowns in surprise, as a droplet soils the packed dirt to her side. For a second she thinks it must be rain, but she can't recall rain ever being so viscous.

So red.

Looking up, she spies worrisome scarlet painting the hand Emma presses to her side; a second bead of blood slowly collecting at the side of her palm ready to fall.

"Your place better not be too far, Tink."

She warns through gritted teeth, and the fairy shakes her head and assures them that she knows the way and that it won't take long. Supposing that there's little that can be done about it either way, Regina allows false memory to slip from her fingers into Hook's mind, and pushes herself back up while wiping her hand surreptitiously on her coat.

"Come on."

She instructs sternly, and she gestures for Tinkerbell to lead the way while she falls into step beside Emma with a frown.

"Are you going to be ok?"

She murmurs quietly, dark eyes flashing as she watches the way the younger woman leans heavily on her sword with every other step.

"Of course."

Emma assures her with a roll of her eyes; a reaction that loses its effect somewhat with the unsettling tremor in her voice.

"You better be."

Regina warns.

"Aw. Worried about me?"

The blonde scoffs breathlessly, and the Mayor throws her a stern glance, before responding coolly

"Never."

* * *

By the time they reach a narrow crevice in the ominous rock face flanking a tempestuous sea, the Sheriff has developed a noticeable limp, and the darker woman at her side keeps the fabric that lines her coat pockets tightly clenched in her fists to stop herself from reaching out to steady her. Still, Emma accompanies her pained gait with a healthy peppering of obscenities muttered beneath her breath, which serve to be both entertainingly colourful and strangely reassuring.

"I've never heard _that_ term used as an adjective before..."

The Mayor remarks as Tinkerbell leads them through the narrow gap in the rocks and into a small cave.

"Well, if you're going to start, you'll have to pay me royalties."

Emma informs her with a smirk, before reaching out a hand to steady herself against the rock. Her eyes slip closed as she catches her breath, and Regina clenches her jaw as she throws the fairy a troubled glance. Tink regards her solemnly, and points to a narrow opening at the back of the small cave they find themselves in; just wide enough for them to be able to stand upright.

"Go on through there. It's where some of the boys once set up camp after trying to run many years ago. In the time since, it's been used now and again and improved. It's not much, but it's dry."

"That's a start."

Regina nods, gesturing that Emma should lead the way once the blonde seems a little more steady on her feet. She does so with a nervous tick to her jaw, and Tinkerbell looks from the Queen to the Saviour and sighs.

"Go on. Both of you. I'll take first watch."

She offers quietly, and dark eyes find hers with a flash of gratitude as the brunette follows the Sheriff into the shadows.

"I preferred it when _I_ was the one doing the saving."

Emma grumbles dryly, and Regina raises a brow as she follows patiently behind- only able to make out the younger woman's silhouette in the darkness- and muses silkily

"What are you muttering about now, dear?"

"Caves. We're making a habit of them, you and I. I just found it a lot more fun when I was the one saving _your_ life."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. You'll be fine."

Regina scoffs, brow furrowing as she glances down at sporadic glimmers bejewelling the dust where blood catches the weak glow of the moon that filters in through cracks in the rock.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This was a fun scene to write. It's one I'd had in mind when writing several of the previous ones, so it was nice to get round to it :) The next one is also one I've been looking forward to, so more to come soon! Reviews would be lovely :)

The cave that Regina and Emma find themselves in is small and almost pitch black, with a damp smell that clings frigidly to the walls.

"It's _freezing_ in here."

The Mayor grumbles, reaching out blindly in the dark. Finally, her fingertips brush against something round and hairy, and she pulls back with instant revulsion before chuckling to herself when she understands what she's found.

"Well, it's cold, but I can at least do something about the _dark_."

She assures in what she suspects might be slightly too jovial a voice to compensate for the gnawing fear in her gut that things are anything but looking good for her companion. Allowing a flicker of magic to escape her fingers, she succeeds in lighting the candle inside the coconut half that had spooked her in the dark. With the light cast dimly by the flame, she's able to make out several similar candle holders, and she lights each one before turning to Emma.

"Rustic décor never was my style, but I'm willing to make an exception."

She sighs, and the blonde offers her a wan smile as she stands lent in the opening to the cave. Her sweater now hangs tied around her shoulders, but she doesn't make any move to put it on despite the chill. She purposefully ignores Regina's mention of the cold, as _personally_ she's uncomfortably warm, but she doesn't imagine that this is a good sign, and it seems to juxtapose with the shivers coursing through her body.

"Come on, sit."

The brunette coaxes quietly, pointing to one of the two beds that line the walls. They are crudely fashioned, and remind her more of army cots than anything she'd care to sleep in if it were up to her, and the covers are mismatched and old. Besides the beds, The cave hosts a couple of jugs filled with rainwater, a rocking horse, and a Davey Crocket doll missing an eye.

"Well, at least it's dry."

Regina echoes the fairy's words, gesturing for Emma to do as she's told and perch on one of the beds.

"Yeah."

The blonde nods, but 'perching' is no longer in her repertoire, and when she makes it to the bed she collapses onto it in a graceless fashion. She glances over at Regina, expecting either a snigger or barbed remark, but the darker woman merely regards her uneasily; her lips tight and her expression grave.

"You better not have been lying to me."

She states eventually, making her way over to the jugs beside the horse, and inspecting them critically.

"About what?"

Emma asks, pulling her legs up onto the bed with a pained grunt and resting for a moment with one hand over her chest and the other over the wound in her side with strained pants of exertion.

"You assured me you would be alright. You better be telling the truth."

Regina warns as she makes her way to the blonde's bed with a jug in her hand.

"Once upon a time, this would have been your wet dream, Madame Mayor."

The younger woman scoffs, and dark eyes roll as the Queen takes a seat and shakes her head.

"Oh, I would never have wanted it to be so _messy_. This is all highly inconvenient."

She sniffs, and Emma grins at her through clenched teeth and removes her hand from her heart.

"Sorry... So what now?"

"Now... We get creative."

Regina muses, and she repeats her previous trick she'd played with the canteen over the jug in her hand; turning water not to rum, but to strong smelling rubbing alcohol.

 _A good thing, too. A good thing it smells so strong. It masks that_ other _smell. The smell of blood._

"I just need something to use as some kind of binding."

She continues, looking around with a frown. The bedding that litters the sorry cots looks old and used. Unclean, and woven from rough wool which might cause more harm than good. Her eyes flicker momentarily to the draped sleeves of the Sheriff's sweater, but she doesn't really want to pursue this option as it will leave Emma with only the thin cotton of her tank top until they get back to the camp.

"Hmm."

She sighs primly, glowering at the blonde as though blaming her for the inconvenience, before pulling off the thick wool of her coat and her purple jacket beneath. Flashing Emma a loaded look, she reasons out loud

"I want to keep the shirt, but I suppose I can sacrifice the camisole."

while unbuttoning rich scarlet. Emma nods, genuinely surprised by the offer, before frowning as Regina looks at her expectantly.

"What?"

"Do you _mind_?"

The brunette snaps as she removes her shirt and plucks at the thin silk of her top.

"No."

The blonde smirks, a little lopsidedly as her left cheek stings with the gash that paints high bone an ugly clotted crimson.

"Emma."

Regina warns, and the younger woman sighs and closes her eyes compliantly, murmuring amiably

"And here I thought we'd made progress."

"... We were keeping warm. That was all."

The Mayor replies icily, pulling her shirt and jacket back on over the scant lace of her bra. She knows she's lying, of course she does, but she has no clue what to do with the truth. Right now, the truth doesn't seem all that important. Right now, all bickering and snide comments aside, all she's concerned about is Emma. The idiot is still smiling with her eyes dutifully shut, but her complexion is an unhealthy grey that the brunette doubts has much to do with the candles.

"Pull your top up."

She requests as she sits back on the edge of the bed, and Emma opens one eye as she jokes dryly

"Oh, so it's ok when _I_ get naked?"

"Hush."

The brunette admonishes, hiding her own smirk which dissipates when she studies the open wound to the younger woman's side. A lot of the blood that has been smeared as high as her ribcage has dried, but the cut still bleeds, and this concerns her as she'd guess- given the manner in which the injury occurred and with what tool- the wound must be dangerously deep. Ordinarily, she would be able to fix this, but with Emma, she just hopes a thorough clean and some pressure is going to be enough.

"Can you open up your jeans?"

She asks, waiting for further sarcasm, but the younger woman simply throws her a troubled look and does what she's told.

 _I suppose the depth of the wound isn't the_ only _thing to consider when addressing the events leading up to where we are now..._

"I'm going to pull them down just a little."

She explains with uncharacteristic softness, and the blonde feigns delight- badly- and chides

"Be my guest."

Regina offers a dutiful roll of her eyes, while inwardly wishing they really _were_ just playing with fire and doing what they both know they shouldn't. She longs for the electricity that had danced madly between them in the tent; frantic, frenzied, but somehow entirely natural.

The answer to many unspoken questions over the past year.

" _Do_ shut up."

Is all she offers out loud, and she tugs as gently as she can at tight denim before wrinkling he nose in disgust.

"They're wet."

"Blood."

Emma explains unnecessarily, and the brunette bites back to hide the nervousness in her chest.

"Well, I could have figured _that_ much out for myself!"

The blonde shrugs; a small movement as her focus seems to waver, and the brunette swallows and pulls at ruined Levis with a new plan in mind.

"They're wet and soiled, and it's freezing in here. You can't keep them on. Same goes for your top. I'll wash them once I'm done."

Regina makes sure to keep any emotion from her voice. She feels obscurely shy wrestling the younger woman from her clothes; her mind flashing to their night in the tent, yet crucially aware that it had been dark and neither of them had removed a single item of clothing.

"Do you _mind_?"

Emma grumbles with an attempted grin, and Regina glances up at her with a frown before throwing reddened palms up in exasperation.

"What?! I can't very well close _my_ eyes, _can_ I?"

"Double standards."

The younger woman teases huskily, and the Queen shakes her head in bemusement.

"Miss Swan, I requested you not ogle me lecherously while I removed my shirt out of decency! I'm trying to help you, and I can't do so without inspecting the damage! Forgive me if I have then extended my concern to not wishing for you to catch pneumonia. I'm trying to _help_!"

She snaps, and she blames the fact that her eyes wander down pale legs curiously entirely on the younger woman and her crass insinuations.

"I know."

Emma replies a little less impishly.

"I know that."

"Well, then..."

Regina growls warningly, pushing the blonde's top up a little higher and advising that Emma should remove it once she's patched up her side. Her gaze flickers to peaked hip bones and simple black cotton, and she swallows involuntarily with something other than simple unease. Brushing it off as she uses her teeth to create a small tear in her camisole- feeling rather flustered while doing so and not entirely sure why- she begins tearing several neat strips from the hem and dabs them in the alcohol in the jug. She considers telling Emma that her application might sting, but instead opts for something more familiar between the two of them to take her mind- and the blonde's- off the damning scarlet marring pale flesh.

"I'm almost surprised."

She muses silkily, and Emma hisses through her teeth as the brunette begins gently cleaning abused flesh with gentle dabs of her hand.

"Yeah, why's that? You were expecting lace?"

"I can't say I'd given it any thought... Regretful and ill-applied tattoos, though? I'd had my suspicions."

Regina goads, and Emma grins despite the fact that she squeazes her eyes shut and teases

"Oh yeah, forgot that was your thing. Sorry to disappoint."

"It's not my 'thing'."

Regina snaps irritably, and the younger woman chuckles a little breathlessly and responds with a clenched jaw

"If you say so. You should still count yourself lucky."

"Why on _earth_ might I want to do that?"

The brunette asks with her nose wrinkled, and her gaze flickering surreptitiously now and again to the taut flesh of the blonde's stomach.

"You're the first person that's seen me naked in over a year."

Emma grins, and the Mayor ponders this with genuine surprise, although she supposes now that she thinks about it, that makes sense.

"You and Graham never-"

"-How many _times_?! No!"

"... And Hook?"

"What about him?"

The Sheriff growls distastefully, before pointing out

"I think we were more a 'thing' in _your_ mind that in mine!"

"...Neal?"

"Oh, _yeah!_ Shit, how could I forget? Of course. Now, if only I could remember if we fucked right after I realised he was engaged, or in the throes of realising Gold is Henry's _grandfather_. I-"

"-Okay, okay. I get it. It was a foolish question."

"Slightly."

Emma huffs, and Regina touches her top lip thoughtfully with her tongue, as the unspoken fact still hangs between them heavily.

 _I might be the first person to see you half undressed- not that this is exactly a_ first, _what with how you decided to greet me when we first met- but I'm also the only person you've._..

Her cheeks flush ever so slightly, and she goes back to cleaning the blonde's injury with a small flare of heat low in her stomach.

"I think this is as good as it's going to get, Emma."

She sighs, and the blonde opens her eyes and peers down at herself and cocks a smile.

"Thank fuck. That stuff stings!"

She strives for amusement, but the Mayor catches her grimace and nods apologetically.

"I'm not surprised. Can you sit up?"

"Yeah."

Emma replies automatically, although she struggles and in the end the brunette offers her a hand.

"You're so _stubborn_."

Regina scolds, although she supposes she really shouldn't find herself _surprised_ at this point.

"I thought I'd be fine!"

The Sheriff grumbles, and the brunette rolls her eyes as she tears one final long strip from her ruined top- careful to keep the front and back together- and presses the rest firmly against Emma's side after dousing it with alcohol.

"Mother Fu-... _Ow_!"

"Sorry... And you better be right. You _better_ be fine."

"You know, I'm starting to feel as though you really _might_ care... It's very concerning."

The blonde quips in a strained voice, and dark eyes narrow as the Mayor responds

"If something happens to you, I'm going to have to deal with your parents. I've already told you, I don't wish to endure that breed of torture."

She sniffs primly as she uses the long strip of silk to tie the makeshift bandage in place; drinking in the soft indentations of the younger woman's spine as she works behind her.

"It's not _you_ that's to blame for any of this."

Emma points out with a hint of anger, and the brunette purses her lips as she supposes that's true and she needs to be careful about what comments she makes- Emma's sarcasm and general childish attitude dangerously distracting from what's really _happened_ this hateful evening- before the younger woman surprises her when she adds quietly

"You're _helping_ me... And you respected me."

"... That's a first."

Regina jokes, pulling a little more roughly as she makes her final knot than is perhaps necessary.

"You could have insisted we go back to camp. It wouldn't have been wrong of you."

"... You'd have resented me for it."

The Mayor sighs finally, and she moves back around to face the blonde, and perches opposite her on the bed, plucking up one of the discarded scraps of silk and dabbing it once more in the jug.

"Hold still."

She breathes, eyes locking momentarily with the Sheriff's, before leaning forward and blotting gently at the latter's cheek.

"That's going to scar."

Regina frowns unhappily, and the blonde raises a brow at the anguish in the darker woman's voice.

"It's ok. If it does, it does."

She shrugs, supposing that she might be less precious about her appearance than the Mayor, but then she can't quite fault the brunette for being shallow as she once might have; she's stunning. It would be a shame to taint that. Her eyes flicker momentarily to the small nick in the Queen's lip, before she lowers them and lets Regina finish cleaning her cheek. The brunette's breath plays softly over her nose as she does so; the latter lent in with her own eyes bright and full of concentration.

"Ok. Done..."

Regina advises finally, sitting back and assessing the younger woman pensively as she disposes of any remaining of bloodied silk by tossing it into the jug and placing it down beneath the bed.

"How do you feel?"

"Honestly? Rough. But I think I'll be okay. I think stopping the bleeding was the main thing, and you've done what you can for that. I still feel a little sick, but I don't think I'm actually _going_ to be. I think it was more a reaction to what happened, but probably also shock. I'm _cold_ now, too. I was hot when we came in, but now I'm freezing."

"You need to rest."

The brunette sighs, pulling gently at grey cotton and helping the younger woman out of her top. The latter sits shivering as Regina takes both her tank top and her jeans over to the largest of the jugs and replaces cold water with a warm, soapy lather and dunks them in; wringing out bloodstained fabric beneath the surface.

"Get under the covers before you freeze."

She orders, and Emma does as she's told with a little difficulty, turning onto her good side and watching the Mayor through heavy lashes.

"It's a shame my phone's dead and back at the camp."

"Why's that?"

"Madame Mayor doing my laundry? That's a picture I'd want framed."

"Careful, dear. You're in no state to fight back should you start a rift right now."

"I guess maybe that might leave you in with a chance..."

Emma smirks exhaustedly, and Regina chuckles lightly beneath her breath as she pulls sodden clothes from the jug and lays them over the rocking horse in the futile hope that they might dry.

"I could destroy you."

She warns, slipping out of her jacket and boots and climbing beneath the covers of the bed opposite the blonde's; suddenly exhausted now that her adrenaline has come back down to a more normal level.

"Nah. You _can't_ kill me, remember."

"I could have a lot of fun _trying_."

Regina retorts irritably, and Emma laughs before breaking into a low groan as the movement hurts her side.

"Stop flirting."

"Emma..."

The Mayor warns, frowning up at the low ceiling of the cave as she doesn't quite know what to do with those vexing quips after last night.

"Yeah?"

A little more shy now; understanding and empathising with the brunette's turmoil as she has no better answers herself.

"... Goodnight."

Regina replies eventually, although she doubts she's going to get any sleep.

"Yeah. Goodnight."

Emma replies, accepting the request for silence and some time to think, and turning onto her back with her hand once more pressed to her side, and her brow furrowed in thought.

_I'm going to kill you, Pan. And I'm going to enjoy each and every second of it. I'm going to-_

-But, whether she falls asleep or passes out, it's impossible to say, as the evening takes its toll, and green eyes slip closed and welcome the blonde to a mercifully dreamless darkness.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A little shorter than I'd planned, but my friend is coming over for the weekend, and I think he may appreciate it if I go pick him up! Part two of this scene ASAP! Hope you enjoy :) Please review!

A while later, the Queen is pulled from her dream and blinks in momentary confusion as she's met by an unforgiving darkness. Remembering where she is a couple of seconds later, she sighs as she supposes she's not all too unhappy that her slumber has been disturbed- worrying dreams in which she'd been following Tink into that tavern many years ago, to meet her love, only it hadn't been a man with a lion tattoo, but a blonde with a fading flower that doesn't quite suit her, and instead of turning away and fleeing, she'd entered. Entered and introduced herself and indulged the fairy's promise- and she wonders curiously what it was that woke her.

A short stretch of silence, and then she catches rustling from the bed on the other side of the room, and she sits up with a frown and strives to peer through the blackness to no avail.

"Emma?"

She tries softly, fussing with her hair despite the fact that she can't even see her own hand in front of her face.

"Are you awake?"

More movement of the covers and a sigh, before she's answered in a worryingly strained tone.

"Yeah. Awake."

"Are you okay?

The brunette asks apprehensively, and when her only answer is a small rustle of the covers, she reaches out blindly for the ledge she remembers on her right where the candles in their shells have burnt out. Feeling for the small pile of spares she'd spotted before they'd gone to bed, she finally finds one and switches it blindly before lighting it; casting the room with a very dim glow.

"Emma?"

She peers over at the other bed, and the blonde pulls down the blanket from over her head and peeks back at her with one eye.

"I'm so cold..."

Is all the younger woman has to say on the matter, and she struggles again to rearrange the blankets to better cover herself, but this seems to do little to help. Regina knows that her go to response would ordinarily be to snap at the Sheriff to grin and bear it, but the blonde's lips look dark in the shadows, as do the unhealthy bags beneath her eyes.

"It _is_ cold."

The Mayor agrees uncomfortably; feeling the damp chill of the cave herself, but supposing that she wears a lot more than the blonde, and hasn't recently lost a considerable amount of blood.

"Can you make a fire?"

Emma asks hopefully, and the brunette sighs as she admonishes impatiently

"Honestly, Miss Swan, did you even _listen_ in any lessons at school?"

"Huh?"

If I start a fire in here, we're at risk of suffocating. Or does carbon monoxide sound like a _good_ idea to you?"

"... They cover that a lot in the Enchanted Forest, did they?"

"I read, and possess common sense."

"So do I. And the chances of that being an issue are slim to none."

"I'd prefer them to be just _none_."

Regina snaps, but she knows that the Sheriff has a point, and carries on with a little less venom

"Besides. I need something to burn... And it's not so simple as simply flicking my wrist."

She reminds the blonde, and Emma shivers visibly, but nods as she agrees

"Right. It takes energy. I forgot."

Her words are soft and lag slightly as her eyes close, but Regina doesn't miss the way she rubs at her arms beneath the covers, and she remains sat up with her brow furrowed as she studies the younger woman pensively. Finally, she pushes herself from her bed and bundles the covers up in her arms. Taking them over to Emma's twin uncomfortable cot, she orders her quietly

"Move up a bit."

"Huh?"

The Sheriff frowns distractedly, and dark eyes roll as Regina urges

"Come on. Move."

Forcing open heavy lashes to study the Mayor with a wave of dizziness, Emma does what she's told with a small grunt of pain, and watches as the brunette pulls the extra set of covers over the bed before slipping in next to her.

"For warmth."

Regina jokes with a hint of discomfort, which is in no way helped by the fact that Emma doesn't laugh, but rather remains studying her silently at her side.

"Thank you."

She offers finally, and the brunette shrugs as she points out sternly

"I was cold, _too_. That's why I moved over here."

Finally, this _does_ garner her a smile- not that she'd been asking for one- as the blonde sighs but refrains from calling the Mayor out on her blatant lie.

A moment later, Regina does this more or less herself, as she shifts beneath the heavy covers to get a little more comfortable- _not likely on this monstrous excuse for a bed!_ \- consequently resting the back of her hand against bare flesh and retracting it with a irritable noise of surprise.

"My god, you're _freezing_!"

"I told you."

Emma mumbles, before gasping with her own surprise when the Mayor runs a hand over her arm and her side beneath the covers. The way Regina does so is assertive rather than suggestive, and dark eyes glare back at her as though the blonde has turned her body to ice just to be irritating.

"You're _really_ cold."

The brunette frowns, and Emma opens her mouth to congratulate the darker woman on stating the obvious, before the words die on her lips in shock when Regina pushes herself up and moves carefully but without explanation so that she lies on the other side of her bedmate; crawling up over Emma, who raises a startled brow in confusion.

"What the hell are you-"

"-Stay still. You'll hurt yourself."

"I can't _see_ you!"

The blonde protests, and Regina is torn between whether to laugh or sigh as she assures

"That is _unfortunate_ for you, I agree, but perhaps show me just a touch of trust and assume I'm not up to anything nefarious."

"I trust you."

Emma frowns irritably, before replying over her shoulder

"Though I _like_ nefarious."

" _There's_ a surprise."

The Mayor smirks, before swallowing the faint wave of awkwardness that grips her limbs in favour of knowing she's doing what she does next out of necessity and nothing else.

"What the hell?"

The blonde asks again, dumbfounded when she feels the brunette move carefully behind her to mould herself against her and tuck her arm gently across her ribs.

"As flattering as that disgusted tone to your voice is, dear, I'm trying to warm you up."

Regina mutters irritably into messy curls, and she finally feels the younger woman nod in understanding before she repeats quietly

"Thank you."

And that's all that passes between them for a while, and Regina begins to believe that the younger woman must have finally been claimed by sleep. She doubts she will enjoy the same luxury; acutely aware of her position and the feel of foreign flesh beneath her fingertips, which rest lightly at the base of the blonde's ribs. The skin there is cold but soft, with a delicate ripple of bone.

 _Oh_.

Regina stills, suddenly aware that she's moving her fingers ever so slightly to sate her cusiosity and she frowns into heavy curls and thanks the fact that Emma sleeps obliviously.

"Regina."

A soft word spoken into the shadows, and the Queen tenses immediately; caught out.

"Mmm?"

She eventually offers noncommittally, and the younger woman pauses- leaving the brunette suffering, suspended in silence- before she shifts her position slightly but pointedly; pushing back into the curve fashioned from the Mayor's slim form.

"Emma..."

Regina warns again, troubled as she feels torn by the way the tension between them affects her. She wants to tell the younger woman sternly that they need to stop this insanity. That whatever it is they imagine exists between them is false. Is a bad idea. Is unreciprocated.

_Not to mention, this isn't the time..._

Possibly not, but the rest doesn't sit right in her chest. The rest juxtaposes with the strong sense of fire the younger woman ignites in her stomach. That fire has existed for as long as she's known the troublesome blonde, but recently it's as though they have each doused a heady and dangerous accelerant onto the flames.

"You're warm."

The Sheriff murmurs, and she reaches up for the Mayor's hand and brings it further around; guiding it slowly down to rest against her stomach, carefully away from the wound above her hip, before letting go.

"I feel warm. Much warmer. You feel cold as ice, but you must be emitting some heat."

Regina replies, swallowing as Emma moves against her with another, suggestive push of her backside against her stomach, and she finds her fingers moving again before she can think better of it.

"Body heat-" Emma explains quietly- "You're benefitting from it more from me because I'm not wearing anything."

Dark eyes narrow behind the younger woman as Regina wonders if this is true, but knows that there's a lot more to the blonde's words than simple science.

She readies herself to scold Emma for her suggestive declaration.

She doesn't see how this could be a good idea given the circumstances. Given what happened earlier.

"I-"

But she stills, thinking on it a little deeper, and supposing that what happened earlier has nothing to do with this. Whether it was the Shadow or Hook responsible for chasing down the blonde, the intent had been the same, and it had been hateful and ugly and cruel. She doesn't feel any of those things towards Emma, and she understands in this moment that the Sheriff knows this. Had seemed to know it before she'd even been aware of it herself.

_She doesn't just know it, she's fuelled by it. She's comforted by it. This has nothing to do with taking or demanding. It's simply satisfying an urge that has been growing. It's doing this how she wants to do it. How it's becoming impossible to deny is an unspoken need on each of our part._

Closing her eyes and letting her hand wander- carefully- a little lower, Regina dismisses her argumentative words, and instead murmurs huskily

"-I suppose you might be right... But it's _you_ that needs warming up..."

"It is."

Emma agrees, shivering with more than just cold as exploratory fingers brush over the thin strip of fabric holding her makeshift bandage in place, and dip into her underwear.


	25. Chapter 25

Moving her fingers slowly, the brunette's breathing is audible as she struggles with her emotions. She is torn between confusion as she explores the younger woman, and something much surer that she would never have imagined she'd feel for Emma. They've been on the island for quite some time, and all of the usual scents she associates with the Sheriff have become lost in a muddle of salt, sea and fear, and this realisation- this _acknowledgment_ \- brings with it the disconcerting notion that she has a fairly well ingrained memory of the vanilla and honey she usually picks up on when around the young woman that had once played her adversary.

It brings with it a whole host of shadowed understanding that she is unable to comfortably process.

_It means nothing..._

Swallowing as slim fingers dip deeper, a small noise catches in the blonde's throat; bitten back between clenched teeth and clamped lips. She suffers a similar mess of emotions as those tormenting the brunette. She is in pain, and uncomfortably- _horribly_ \- cold, but the Mayor's attention is blissfully distracting, and the ache in her side is helped somewhat by the gentle touch between her legs. Yet, she is still torn. She is exhausted and ultimately hurting in a number of ways following her ordeal back in the clearing, and she realises with some surprise- and a great amount of dubiety- that she would like nothing more than to turn around and bury her face into the darker woman's embrace, to allow the comfort that she knows the Mayor would provide her against all the odds.

She won't, though.

She won't, and not just because doing so would hurt her side. She won't because it goes against everything either of them have come to expect from one another, and so she remains curled against the brunette's slim form and sighs as expert fingers begin to elicit a slick response.

"If you were trying to warm me up, I told you already, it would be more effective if you were in a similar state."

She murmurs, and the Mayor's sweet attention stops as the darker woman hesitates while thinking the blonde's suggestion over. The idea both excites her and concerns her. If she gets undressed, this all becomes _real_. They will need to pause as she slips out of her dress pants and shirt, and unlike when she'd stripped Emma of her blood soaked clothes, there is no plausible excuse she can give for allowing the blonde to see her more intimately. No innocent explanation.

"For warmth."

The younger woman reminds her quietly as though able to read her mind, and Regina swallows, before pushing herself up to study familiar features thoughtfully.

She wishes the candle that currently casts a dull glow over them would hurry up and burn out.

But then, there's no escape in the shadows, not from what flickers between them.

"For warmth."

She agrees finally, and she swallows as Emma rolls carefully onto her back to regard her in the soft golden haze that dances off the cave's walls. Matching the younger woman's bright stare, she pulls the blanket down just a little to expose the plain cups of the blonde's bra and the soft swell of her breasts. The Sheriff's flesh is visibly tight with cold, but she relaxes just a little; looking back up at the brunette silently with her long hair spilling over the pillow and her lips slightly parted, allowing Regina to study her openly and drink in what had been hidden back in the tent.

"You..."

But the brunette trails off and says nothing more, and simply begins working the buttons of her shirt. She's not sure what she'd been meaning to say. _Surely_ nothing so obscure as to compliment the younger woman. Allowing her shirt to fall open, she watches as bright eyes drop to study her pensively, and she _almost_ wishes Emma would make a characteristically crass remark to ease some of the tension between them, because right now that electricity is overwhelming. Freeing herself of soft fabric to leave her in just her bra, she offers the Sheriff a loaded look as cool green flickers back up to meet her own dark stare.

"Play fair."

Emma requests eventually, and the brunette nips the tip of her tongue thoughtfully between her teeth, before slipping from the covers. She doesn't dare wriggle free from her dress pants under the covers as it is both an act she has always viewed as pointless and prude- _why hide one's assets?_ \- and she's worried that she might accidentally knock the blonde. Keeping her gaze arrogantly locked with the Sheriff's, she slips free of plush fabric slowly, and stands for just a moment- skin rippling with cold- to allow the younger woman to drink in what she has on offer, before she slides back beneath the covers.

"...Don't say anything."

She warns Emma, and the blonde swallows and shakes her head. She understands what the Queen means and why she warns her the way she does. What had happened in the tent had been rough and wild. It had been in some ways clumsy, and it had taken both of them by surprise that they might finally be acknowledging the delicious ache shared between them. This can't be like that. It can't be rough, and it can't be a mindless submission to desire. This has to be careful and slow so as not to cause the younger woman any more pain, and in being that way, it's going to be intimate. It's going to be an entirely rational acceptance of something greater than tipsy recklessness if they allow this to continue.

"This was easier when there was rum."

Emma sighs, but she says nothing else, and Regina glowers at her for a moment, before simply hovering over her uncertainly.

Finally, the brunette dips her head and brushes her lips against the blonde's; privately torn between wishing the Sheriff had remained silent and let her finish simply touching her blindly beneath the covers, and relishing the adrenalin that courses through her now as she tastes the younger woman slowly and accompanies her down into the insane depths of their turbulent relationship.

_This is so wrong..._

The thought remains stuck in the back of her mind, but it does nothing to stop her slipping her fingers back down into damp cotton and hungrily swallowing the small sound the younger woman makes in response.

"Move back onto your side."

She murmurs against parted lips; wanting to lose herself in this lunacy now that she's allowed it to exist, and terrified of hurting the woman beneath her. This thought has her smirking into their kiss, as she would once never have believed she'd wish to avoid such a thing. Remembering the way the blonde's top had been stained a deep crimson as the blood had seeped between pale fingers, her grin fades, and she overlooks her own rule as Emma moves gingerly onto her side and breaks the silence.

"I wasn't just worried about having to deal with your parents."

She admits into thick gold, as she curls flush against the blonde and teases her lightly over the swatch of her underwear before slipping inside.

"Hmm?"

Emma sighs, grinning before her eyes close and her mouth opens to pull in a shuddering breath.

"I like having you around."

Regina admits, pushing against the younger woman a little harder. The cups of her bra are nothing but lace, and the deep chill of the Sheriff's limbs, while worrisome, brings her nipples to full, sensitive attention as she presses into the blonde's slender frame.

"Knew it."

Emma scoffs, a little breathlessly as all of the pent up residue of her anger and fear is channeling itself into heat and need, and she takes care not to move too much, but fists at the covers with one hand while snaking the other behind her a little awkwardly.

"Uh..."

Regina groans, her own adrenaline and fear affecting her much as it does the blonde, and she moves as best she can to allow Emma to best access her need.

"Don't stop."

She warns, taking care with her own movements, but breathing harshly as Emma is able to touch her with a little less caution; the angle awkward, but her fingers fast.

"Why do people always say that?"

The blonde frowns, and Regina dampens a moan against the younger woman's shoulder, before demanding distractedly

"What?"

"People always say 'don't stop' or things to that effect in movies and stuff, and I never get why. Why the hell _would_ I stop?"

The younger woman elaborates curiously, dipping especially deep as if proving some kind of point.

"Ung... Emma, I thought I told you to keep quiet?"

Regina grumbles through gritted teeth, working to garner her own hissed expletive as she adds a little pressure before allowing her fingers to become feather-light.

"You did."

The Sheriff agrees, grimacing as she can feel the telling tightening flutter of her stomach muscles, eliciting a deep pain in her side that is soothed wonderfully by the ecstasy a little lower down.

"Well, then..."

Regina retorts, but anything else is lost in a series of unintelligible noises as she goes over; throwing the hand not working its magic inside damp cotton between them and catching the younger woman's wicked wrist in an iron grip as she shudders against her.

"Shit..."

She hisses, her touch momentarily clumsy and jerky, and Emma warns her breathlessly

"Don't stop."

Laughing huskily, Regina obeys, applying a little more pressure before stilling when she feels the younger woman shiver and tense up.

"Ah, _ow_!"

Emma pants in a mixture of pleasure and pain, and she chuckles lightly when she finally relaxes, and moves her hand gingerly to her side.

"That was the best worst idea."

She smirks, and Regina rolls her eyes, although not with as much disdain as she usually might, as she catches the way Emma sneaks a surreptitious glance beneath the covers and knows that the Sheriff will be checking for bleeding.

"I imagine you have lots of those."

She sighs, feeling suddenly a little awkward lying against the younger woman as their breathing becomes slowly more regular and silence spans out between them.

"Regina-"

"-I told you. Don't say anything."

The brunette warns quietly, biting her lip as she struggles to catch the tail of her thoughts.

"... Okay."

Emma answers eventually, and she strives to keep the uneasiness from her tone without much success.

"It worked. I'm much warmer."

She whispers eventually, and full lips stretch into a smile as the brunette rolls onto her back and closes her eyes.

"Yes. You no longer appear at death's door."

"I was fine."

The younger woman assures flippantly, and Regina shakes her head with a sharp exhalation through her nose at Sheriff's contrariness.

"Do you think Hook went back to the others?"

Emma asks, and the candle gives up the ghost to plunge the cave into darkness as her question hangs between them.

"...I should think so. I wouldn't worry. That's his concern, not yours."

"... Do you really think the Shadow is gone?"

"Yes."

"Yeah?"

"I trust Tink... I wouldn't have left him free to go and find your parents if I _wasn't_ sure. You know that."

"Yeah... Yeah, I guess I do."

The blonde agrees softly, staring into the darkness with a slight furrow of her brow.

"Regina..."

" _What_ , Emma?"

The brunette sighs, striving to let sleep take her before they can embark on any dangerous territory with their words. The blonde catches the warning note in the darker woman's voice and sighs, not sure how to really express what it is she feels. She'd been on the verge of telling the Mayor that she's nervous about fancing the pirate again, whether under the control of the Shadow or not. What had happened today had been a show- a horrible one- of Hook's private fancies, and she's not really sure what to _do_ with all that. Before, when it had just been a joking matter between herself and Regina, her mind had flickered again and again to Neal and her grief, and her lingering lack of complete trust for Hook. Now, her thoughts have been warped by a feeling of anger that she knows isn't entirely fair, and yet also knows has set root to stay. Her conflict also throws her another word. A new word into this particular mix.

 _Regina_.

She's uneasy.

Her side hurts, but nowhere near as bad as it might have if the Queen hadn't helped her clean it and apply pressure.

She's warm.

She's missing Henry.

She's tired.

_I'm confused._

"Never mind."

"... Go to sleep, dear."

"Yeah. Okay... But, Regina?"

"Emma, I swear, if you don't-"

"-Thank you."

"... Think nothing of it. Any one of us would do the same."

_Well... to a point._

"Still, though. I just wanted to tell you-"

"-You're welcome. Now shut up."


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Just a short one while I had a spare moment :) Reviews would be lovely! I will do a longer chapter in the next couple of days, but really wanted to start getting to work on a Christmas one-shot, so this one is only small :)

Yawning, Emma blinks away the final wisps of her dream with a frown. She and Regina had been sat dressed only in the scant guilt of their underwear back in the Station in Storybrooke. They'd been positioned side by side on the hard wooden chairs that circle the table in the interrogation room, sharing uneasy glances with one another before reverting their gaze back to the glass lining the far wall. It's a one-way mirror, they both know that, and while they had been sat rigidly and uncomfortably still just before she'd awoken, she'd tasted the telling tang of the Mayor's lipstick and felt the lingering promise of her touch. On the other side of the glass, she knows the others had been watching. Neal, Hook, her parents...

"Fuck."

She murmurs in the dark, pulling a face as she imagines what conversations must have been going on- even in her subconscious- on the other side of the mirror.

Pushing uncomfortable thoughts away, she stretches sleepily and regrets the act in an instant.

"Fuck!"

Again, huskier this time, as she clutches her side and winces. Giving herself a moment to recover, she moves gingerly to push herself up, narrowing her eyes as she struggles to make out much of anything through the shadows; the cave lit only by a hazy, meagre glow emanating from the narrow chasm they'd walked through to get here. That dim light has her guessing that it must be somewhat light outside- as light as this hateful island ever seems to _get_ \- and she pushes her hair out of her face and glances down at the brunette who remains asleep beside her. Regina lies on her side facing towards her, and the blonde shivers as she recalls the moaned ecstasy that had escaped parted lips before slumber had come for them both.

_Oh, boy._

She tries to think of the last time she'd messed around with someone without being able to put some of the blame on alcohol and can't do it. She tries to figure out if this fact bothers her or not in the face of last night and can't do _that_ either.

"What's done is done."

She whispers beneath her breath, before pushing herself out from under the covers to be hit by the cave's wet chill. Walking over to the rocking horse in the corner- still limping a little, but not feeling dizzy or nauseous as she had last night- she grabs a few handfuls of her once blood-soiled clothes and wrinkles her nose. The fabric is still a little damp, particularly her jeans, but she supposes she'll have to make do as she can't very well go wandering out of the cave in her underwear.

_Best not._

She smirks to herself, until she remembers her dream and resolves simply to roll her eyes uncomfortably. It takes her a while to get dressed; struggling with tight denim irritably, with several hissed expletives uttered under her breath. Finally, she pulls on her sweater with a graceless manoeuvre of her arms, before wrestling with her boots; by now rather breathless.

* * *

"Hi."

Tinkerbell greets coolly as she peers over her shoulder to spy the blonde approaching her.

"Hi."

Emma nods uncomfortably, their trip to the caves blurred somewhat by silent fretting and pain, and she doesn't remember for sure whether she'd made a fool out of herself last night.

_You'd have had an excuse!_

Her mind pipes up at once, and while this is true, she detests exposing elements of weakness in front of strangers, and no rational argument has ever changed that.

"How are you feeling?"

Tink asks, not sounding overly concerned, and this suits the Sheriff just fine.

"Better."

Emma shrugs noncommittally, and the fairy nods and turns back to surveying the woods that surround them.

"Have you come to swap with me?"

She asks, drawing lines in the sand with a large stick that had been resting against her leg.

"Oh. Sure."

The Sheriff nods, a little guiltily as she'd _actually_ come wandering out to relieve herself, and the thought that the fairy might need some rest had selfishly never entered her mind.

_Asshole, Swan._

Maybe, but in all honesty, she's had a fair amount on her plate recently which she feels allows her some excuse!

_Still an asshole..._

Yes. She supposes she often is.

"I'll swap with you in a second, I need to pee."

She informs, and Tink shrugs and goes back to studying her dirt illustrations.

"Watch out for Dreamshade."

She offers the Sheriff's retreating form in a tone that suggests she'd not be too bothered either way, and Emma sighs with a small smirk, slowly coming around to the idea that she quite likes the fairy after all.

* * *

When she comes back, Tink studies Emma casually as the latter worries at her arm. The way the Sheriff walks is still telling of the fact she must be in some pain, and the scarlet slice to her cheek looks deep and sore. Still, it seems she's more interested in her inner wrist, and the fairy speaks up obnoxiously.

"What did I _tell_ you? You know if you got scratched by that stuff, you're a dead woman walking."

"I didn't get scratched by _Dreamshade_ -"

Emma snaps back gruffly; equally headstrong

"-I lost my balance and fell into some brambles. _You_ try assuming the position when you can't bend on one side."

A snort of laughter at this, and Tink supposes the blonde isn't so bad when she joins in quietly.

"Idiot."

She offers matter-of-factly, and for one of the first times Emma imagines she can see how it is that the fairy and Regina had once been friends.

"Go sleep."

She retorts, and Tink pushes herself from her perch on the rock- not needing to be told twice- and begins down the chasm to the cave. It is only when she is little more than a ghostly silhouette to the Sheriff that it occurs to Emma that Regina sleeps in her underwear obliviously, and she bites her lip apprehensively.

"Fuck."


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the wait! I wanted to get my Mistletoe and Wine SQ short out before christmas :) Hope you had a lovely Christmas those who celebrate, and are all having a nice winter holiday :) Please review- I missed you!

Entering the cave while wrinkling her nose, Tink assesses the damp walls glumly, before glancing over at the bed lining the far wall. The crude platform is empty, completely stripped bare, and she frowns as she looks over at its twin to her right to spy a heap of blankets and a hand starfished out from beneath the covers. Shivering, she supposes she can deduce what's happened here fairly easily; Emma will have slipped from the cave with probably as much grace as she has shown so far, thus waking the once feared ruler of a forgotten land in the process, encouraging her to steal whatever was available to her for warmth. It would be characteristically selfish of the brunette to have done so, and not in the least bit surprising.

What _is_ surprising is the small heap of clothes beside the bed. At first, the fairy almost overlooks them completely, but, just as she would find it in the Queen's nature to have laid claim to all the bedding with little care for if _she_ might be wanting a rest or not, she would deem it entirely _un_ characteristic for Regina to have shed her clothes and left them carelessly on the cave's floor. The act speaks either of a slobbishness that the blonde knows the Queen doesn't possess, or a situation of haste and distraction. Frowning, she considers this second possibility just a little deeper, before deciding there must just be a third option she's not seeing.

"Hey, Your Majesty, how about you share a little?"

She speaks up boldly, and slim fingers twitch before curling into a fist.

"...Emma?"

Regina tries from beneath the covers, but the hesitancy in her tone suggests she's already figured out that her companion is no longer the Sheriff.

"Do I _look_ like Emma?"

Tink grumbles, and finally heavy, coarse wool gets pushed down as the Mayor opens her eyes and peers dazedly through the darkness.

"In _this_ dismal light you do a little."

She sniffs irritably, before pointing out

"Miss Swan has a slightly firmer grasp on fashion, however. Although, if you tell her I said that, I would have to kill you."

The sly venom dripping from the brunette's tongue doesn't mask the drowsiness that has yet to entirely fade, and Tinkerbell frowns as she would say it doesn't sound at all as though the Queen was recently awake and sharp enough to have stolen Emma's covers in her absence.

"I'm not sure skintight men's material and an ill-fitting shirt constitute as impeccable taste, but I would argue that my own has at least improved."

A smirk at this as the Mayor allows a small nod. She supposes Tink's current ensemble is at least preferable to the grossly ridiculous dresses worn by the fairies. She recalls Emma telling her once when they'd studied the book that those gowns reminded her of jellyfish, and has since been unable to see it any other way. Of course, at the time she'd scoffed that the blonde was an idiot, but that had been more out of habit than any real disagreement over the matter.

She considers telling Tinkerbell that the 'men's material' she refers to is called denim, and that in their land it's worn by both sexes, however much this may irk her.

She doesn't explain this, because her mind goes immediately to the fact that while she might find jeans distasteful- just one of many small quirks born from an upbringing and status no longer relevant- she has grown to appreciate the way Emma's fit her impossibly snuggly. She doesn't mention the younger woman's top either, as she'd noticed a couple of days ago that the benefit of the ugly fabric being so loose was a fairly good glimpse of the Sheriff's bra both from the side and when she bends over.

_Oh, Christ..._

Swallowing down lewd thoughts with a bitter pursing of her lips- considering the rather teenage excitement she feels to be much more Emma's turf than her own- it slowly dawns on her that her _own_ clothes lie more or less at the fairy's feet, while her camisole has been ripped to shreds and tied tightly around pretty, taut flesh.

"Anything is an improvement to the monstrosities Blue kitted you all out in."

She interrupts dangerous thoughts primly, and Tinkerbell flashes her teeth in annoyance before dropping the act and nodding in agreement.

"That's not a part I signed up for, no, but unfortunately it was non-negotiable."

"Well, then I'd say you're better off."

Regina snaps back glibly, and her dark eyes are met with fire, before the blonde replies coldly

"Can I have some of the covers you stole from Emma?"

Looking from hurt anger to the bed that had actually been _hers_ but hardly slept in, she frowns.

"Why?"

"Well, because while you lot were in here lazing about I was freezing my ass off making sure no one came bothering us!"

Tink snaps, and Regina sighs as she suffers a similar thought to that recently bothering Emma; that with all of the commotion of the previous evening, she'd not really given their curious tour-guide a second thought. She feels a little guilty- not quite so strongly as the Sheriff had felt it, as it's just not her way- but she feels it none the less. Still, it is not in her repertoire to voice such a thing any more than it had been in Emma's, and so she goes for what she knows, and bites back loftily

"Oh, yes, heaven forbid we'd be accosted by a number of vexed prepubescents."

"I take it that's how _you_ all felt when you fought Pan's boys the first time?"

The fairy snaps back waspishly, and when Regina raises a brow in confusion, she sighs

"Pan's not the _only_ one that keeps an eye on things around here."

"So you saw what was going on, yet you felt no need to intervene?"

"Why the bitterness? I thought they were 'vexed prepubescents', surely _you_ could handle _that_ , Your Highness?"

"I-"

"-And I'd remind you that the pirate also decided to take a chunk out of your friend last night, and maybe I felt it wise to watch he didn't come back for the rest."

Tink finishes irritably, and Regina glowers at her through the shadows, before affirming quietly

"Hook poses no further threat."

"So you say. Before walking in on you all freaking out in that clearing, I'd not thought he posed one at _all_."

"It was the _Shadow_. You said it yourself."

"It was. But, I've told you how the Shadow works. It takes what it wants. Just because that idiot wasn't _running_ the show, doesn't mean his actions shouldn't be carefully considered. _Hook_ was the one that wanted to hurt your friend. The Shadow just _let_ him."

"He wasn't trying to... Nevermind."

Regina frowns, before asking belatedly

"Where _is_ she, anyway?"

Tinkerbell gives a jerk of her thumb over her shoulder towards the mouth of the cave and sighs

"She came to swap with me. So if you could _please_ give me one of the blankets..."

"Oh. Yes."

The brunette nods, pulling away the top cover and holding it out, exposing a pale swatch of bare flesh that glows in the dim light of the cave. She catches Tinkerbell looking at her- at the bare flesh of her arm and the coy glimpse of her bra- and seethes warningly

"Take the blanket."

Nodding, Tink does as she's told, carrying it back to the other bed which looks suspiciously unused and taking a seat. She looks back down at discarded clothes and the murderous expression painting fine features and her brow furrows.

"Did you... Did you sleep with her?"

A series of choked noises as the brunette appears entirely aghast and at a loss of just where to start with hurling insults, before she realises that Tink's tone doesn't seem to be marred with disgust or confusion but rather disbelief. She makes the cautious bet that the fairy isn't asking about anything other than the physical arrangements, and the sigh that leaves her lungs in relief is audible.

"It was cold. _She_ was cold. She lost a lot of blood."

She answers dismissively, and Tinkerbell pulls a face as she admits cooly

"She did. I wasn't really sure which way it was going to go, but didn't want to say anything last night."

"How do you mean?"

"I mean that you're right, there was a lot of blood, and a lot of foolish pretence on _both_ of your part that everything would be fine. We're on an island, and she couldn't rely on your magic, only your care. Not _many_ perish here because they don't suffer the ailments that come with age, but some fall prey to the elements or the madness of the island. I've seen boys succumb to lesser injuries than Emma's. Call me a pessimist, but I'd half been expecting the worst this morning."

"That's very morbid, yes!"

Regina hisses, surprised at how furious yet fearful the fairy's words leave her. Tinkerbell shrugs, and continues in a not _quite_ apologetic tone

"It is, which is why I didn't say anything. For that amount of blood, it had to have been a deep wound. I'm not a doctor and I don't know what's under the skin there and what you can and can't live without. Evidently, if this was going to be a _fatal_ lack of knowledge, we'd be aware of it by now. I saw no use telling you what was on my mind; you were upset, you care for her, and it wouldn't have done any good."

"I don't..."

The brunette starts automatically, before discarding what is by now a blatantly obvious lie.

"You do."

Tink states firmly, and Regina sighs, recalling the way she'd admitted to doing just that into the Sheriff's thick curls while teasing her slowly.

"I used to hate her, you know..."

She grumbles as she lies back down; the bed cold and uncomfortable with Emma gone.

"I don't think _she_ particularly liked _me_ , but I absolutely _hated_ her. I tried to kill her twice."

She continues, and Tink pulls the covers up over her and struggles in vain to get comfortable as she quips back sarcastically

"Classic Regina."

A heavy pause pregnant with danger, before the Mayor laughs softly joined by the fairy.

"Still nothing compared to the energy I spent on her mother."

"No. That's true. It is weird seeing the two of you sat together with proverbial swords at bay."

"It is for myself, too. There are a lot of things you learn when you're forced to re-evaluate things... I'm sorry about your wings."

"I know."

"Really?"

"Sure. You know, for a second I considered leading you two completely astray out of pure spite. But, I see the way you've changed, and I just want to help... Which is actually something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh?"

"Pan tried to sabotage you _all_ by going after Emma. True, he probably thought it was a fun little game, but for him to have sacrificed the Shadow's eyes on the island to do what he did... He's threatened by you. The magic here is wearing thin, can't you feel it?"

"It feels wrong."

Regina replies eventually, not sure _what_ she feels as this place seems diseased and upside down to her. It suffers an invisible cancer, and she can't tell what's fantasy and what's the island.

"I can feel it-" Tink confides as though the Mayor has said nothing- "I may not be able to _use_ magic any longer, but I can still feel it in others. The island, it's dying, which means like anything on its last defence, it's going to fight back without mercy. You and your friend though, you're strong. Both of you. It's not that simple, though. _You're_ well trained, but Emma's magic is chaotic and unpredictable."

"You've seen-"

"-No. I _feel_ it. you two are opposites, not just in how you present yourselves, but what's inside. You're focused, you always have been. Emma... I can't get a handle on her."

"She's... She's brave, but she's an idiot. She doesn't think before she acts. Not if people she cares about are in peril."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about... _You_ , you have no one here."

Tinkerbell confides, and the brunette suffers a bitter pain in her chest as it's been a while since someone pointed this out to her.

"No one but Emma."

The fairy continues obliviously, but she says it kindly, and the Mayor supposes she actually _does_ fall into the catergory of people the blonde will make any number of imbecilic moves to help out.

She hides her smile beneath the blanket.

"She has _all_ of you. She _cares_ about _all_ of you. That punts up the possibility of Emma doing something reckless four to one. Snow's an out of practice archer, David's an out of practice swordsman- though it seems mostly to be luck- and Hook is now a minefield of unanswered problems. They were each powerful in their day- they bested _you_ after all- but that was then and this is now. If we go in with a group attack, that's three likely possibilities for distraction. _Four_ if you happen to land yourself in trouble."

"You make it sound like _I'd_ leave the others to rot..."

"Oh, I don't think you would. But I believe your reasoning lies more in the fact that if you did so, both your son and his mother- his _other_ mother- would judge you for it. I think you're coming to terms with acceptance, but I don't believe you're in danger of getting us all _killed_ while trying to protect everyone.

Me... I'm only along with you on this for old time's sake, and you can rest assured I want no position on the front line. I'm willing to _help,_ but that's as far as it goes... I don't fancy getting myself into something I can't get out of, and with your friend out there running around hot-headedly, I'm uneasy. She reminds me of one of those dogs your family once had in the castle to mind the sheep; running from one to the other, trying to keep them all in line and safe. Do you know what happens when a dog like that with too many sheep is faced with fire? With danger? They stay. They keep on running and herding and helping and saving, but if the sheep don't play by the rules and scatter in their fear, there's nothing that comes from that devotion but chaos and misery.

I don't want your friend to get me _killed_ , Regina."

"Then what are you suggesting?"

"We're close. Closer to him and his camp then you lot have been. With the six of us, we present _six_ opportunities to be caught out. With the three of us- with the power hand- we stand a better chance of rescuing your boy. I will play look out. I'll lend you my ears and my knowledge of this place, and you two will do the actual _work_. That way, you're only responsible for yourselves."

_And each other..._

Regina thinks, but she doesn't say it. She actually thinks Tinkerbell has a point, and she would feel much more comfortable putting her life in Emma's hands than the collective palms of the Charmings'.

"You may be right."

The brunette sighs, checking that the fairy lies turned away from her before slipping from the covers and making swift work of her clothes.

"I'll go and talk to Emma about it... Word of warning, though- she may be less enthusiastic about what is perfectly _reasonable_ to the rest of us. She suffers residual mommy and daddy issues, but when it comes to sticking together, they're like the ever-loving Von Trapp family."

"The what?"

"Never mind... I'll go and talk to her and see what she says... I'm just glad they don't _sing_."

She finishes over her shoulder as she stalks out the cave, and Tink watches her go; that same feeling that lets her know that the Sheriff harbours a great and undiscovered power letting her know that there is something more between the other two than simple camaraderie. It had once been her job to seek out another's soulmate, and there is a strange electricity trapped in the cave that she can no longer decipher, but is still able to detect.

"What is going _on,_ Regina..?"


	28. Chapter 28

Stepping out from the cave, Regina readies herself to be met by a harsh shaft of sunlight that never comes.

"God, this place is depressing."

She mutters, pulling her jacket closer to her slim frame and assessing the dark gloom of the island distastefully.

"Yup."

Emma greets her with a sigh, and she turns to spy the blonde sat perched on a rock just inside the shelter of the sloping cliff face with her arms tightly crossed over her chest. Her sweater clings to her in a way that suggests it might still be a little damp, and she has pulled the high polo-neck up to cover her nose. Upon returning Regina's gaze, she pulls the wool back into place, and offers a thin smile. Her lips are closer to blue than they are their natural colour and her breath comes out in short plumes of silver. The Mayor notices that- while the island maintains a grotesque clamminess- her own breathing escapes in similar tendrils of mist, and she holds up a finger in a silent gesture for patience and disappears back into the dark mouth of the cave.

A moment later, she returns with one of the blankets and a thermos.

"Unless you wanted to rest some more?"

She asks as she gestures to the blanket, and golden curls tumble as the younger woman shakes her head.

"I'm ok."

"Hmm."

Regina sniffs, the fairy's words as to her presumptions based on Emma's condition playing hatefully through her mind. Shoving unwanted thoughts aside, she takes a seat gingerly beside the Sheriff and spreads the blanket out over both of them.

"Tinkerbell's out cold."

She smirks, and she is aware that she says it more for something to say than out of any assumption that Emma might be in the least bit interested.

"Oh yeah?"

The blonde asks politely, and the Mayor sighs as she focuses her attention straight ahead; uncomfortably aware that the last time she'd spoken to the younger woman it had been to tell her to shut up while they'd both been as good as naked. She recalls the way Emma had warned her not to stop with her teasing before shuddering against her tellingly; her arm draped carefully around the blonde's waist as her fingers had worked trapped inside damp cotton.

Unlike before, there's no excuse she can come up with this time.

No reason for why they did what they did other than that they'd _wanted_ to.

"How's your hip?"

She asks eventually, and Emma shrugs as she touches her hand to her side.

"A little sore, but not too bad... Did uh... Did Tink realise you were... Well, you know..."

Dark eyes roll as the Mayor shoots the Sheriff a narrow glower, but her lip twitches with a hint of amusement.

"Nice of you to _warn_ me she was coming in, Miss Swan."

"I didn't think!"

Emma insists immediately, before throwing the brunette a withering look as she realises just a second too late that she's walked right into Regina's response of

"I suppose _that_ doesn't make a change."

"I think plenty."

The Sheriff grumbles, and the darker woman smirks as she goads lightly

" _Do_ you, though?"

She revels in Emma's irritable glare and hands over the thermos; watching in amusement as the younger woman takes a curious sniff when she opens it.

"Alright!"

The blonde exclaims, breathing in the heavenly aroma of fresh coffee, and Regina smiles, pulling the blanket a little higher up her slim form as she watches the Sheriff take a sip with her eyes closed. She averts her own eyes hastily once Emma lowers the thermos and hands it to her.

"Actually, I've been thinking a lot this morning."

The blonde states quietly, and the brunette swallows hot coffee before studying the rim where a dark droplet is caught on the edge.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I know you said you didn't want to talk about it though, and I don't really see what there is to _gain_ from talking in that case, I just..."

"Why... What do you mean?"

Regina frowns, and Emma shrugs as she looks purposefully ahead of them at the thorns that snarl up withered trees.

"Well, I just reckoned if you didn't want to mention it or anything, then it's not something that's going to matter when we get off this fucking island. I mean, it might be a bit weird now and then, but-"

"-Did I _say_ I thought that?"

The darker woman snaps irritably, aware that Emma is simply trying to voice her opinion, but not wanting to hear it. Not wanting to deal with it. She has no _clue_ what she makes of what has happened between them, but the swift flash of anger that greets the suggestion that it might be unimportant tells her more than she needs to know. Regaining her composure, she continues in a softer tone

"I don't know what you want me to _say_ , Emma."

"Nothing. I don't really need you to say anything if you don't want."

The younger woman sighs, and the brunette nips lightly at her tongue with her teeth as the silence between them becomes awkward, before finally she laughs lightly. Catching the curious look the Sheriff throws her, she shrugs helplessly and admits

"It's just my luck that the _one_ time you actually want to _discuss_ something rather than attack it, ignore it, or question it, I come up short of anything to offer."

"Yeah. Usually I can't get you to shut up."

Emma grins, taking the thermos from the glowering Mayor and drinking deeply.

"It's okay. I wasn't wanting to hash everything out or anything like that. There was just something bothering me a little and I was thinking about it is all."

"What's bothering you?"

Regina asks, uncomfortable as she tries to guess at an answer but the younger woman's profile is calm and expressionless and gives nothing away.

"Well, since getting stranded here, you and I have gotten on pretty well, but we haven't always."

" _There's_ an understatement."

"When we were talking before, I kind of mentioned that I never really hated you, and that you just wound me up a lot. There were times I didn't particularly _like_ you, and times you fucked me off, but mostly since the curse broke, I've liked you fine. You've said before that you 'tolerate' me, and if I'm honest, I think you do more than that because you laugh when we mess with each other, and you never used to unless you were planning something cruel. I know you think I'm an idiot though, so maybe I'm just a better offer of entertainment than, you know, your once sworn _enemies_... You've helped me, which I appreciate, and it took me by surprise; more because it's something new to me than that it was _you..._ But I guess that had something to do with it too, if you want the truth... I've never really cared about this sort of thing, and I'm not sure if I do _now_ , which is what I was thinking about... But, I guess the thing is, I still don't really know for sure..."

"Don't know what?"

Regina frowns, trying to figure out the blonde's true meaning as the latter struggles to put together her thoughts; the practise of sharing them- particularly those to do with how she feels- not something the Sheriff is well versed in.

"Well, you know."

"No?!"

The Mayor replies pointedly, and Emma raises a brow in surprise and replies

"Oh. Well, I guess I just wasn't totally sure if you even actually liked me. You know, as person or whatever."

She shrugs it off as though it doesn't matter to her either way, blushing as she feels hatefully like she's stood in the locker room at high school. Regina opens her mouth to snap at her that her curiosity is ridiculous, before her continual refusal to call Emma her friend when speaking to Tink comes to mind. She tries to recall if she's ever actually _given_ Emma any verbal affirmation that they're on good terms and can't think of an occasion. Still, there are plenty of _non_ -verbal affirmations she can think of, and she furrows her brow now as she turns to the Sheriff and argues

"Would I have treated you the way I have done if I _hadn't_ liked you?"

"That's what I've been trying to figure out."

Emma replies honestly, and Regina lets out a low, bemused sigh before reaching for the coffee the blonde uses to warm her hands.

"I like you. I would have thought that was obvious."

"I've _thought_ it was obvious before, and people sucked..."

The Sheriff answers quietly, and Regina cocks her head as she thinks about this. She supposes that one thing she and the blonde _do_ have in common is that they look for a lot in other people before they will allow them in. She has always been one to remember every slight against her- intentional or otherwise- and while Emma's reaction might not be the same wish for vengeance, she knows that the Sheriff catalogues and processes in a similar way. She simply _expects_ people to let her down, but she can also fall prey to expecting others to be bound by their word in the same way as she tends to be by her own statements, and Regina imagines that maybe Emma really _hadn't_ known precisely where they'd stood- hadn't _needed_ to know- until coming out and asking her bluntly.

"Well, in this case, you were correct. Much as it pains my better judgement, I have grown to like you."

"Good. I like you too."

"I know."

Regina shrugs arrogantly, and Emma grins.

"If I'm honest, dear, I wouldn't have thought it would _matter_ to you. Not in the context of what happened last night."

She continues slowly, aware that she is perhaps being a little cruel, but also fairly certain that she's right.

"Oh, I wasn't thinking about it like that. I was just trying to figure out if you did or not."

"Really? After everything... _That's_ what you were worried about?!"

"I never _said_ I was worried, I said I was _curious_... You told me _not_ to think about the rest of the stuff."

"I told you not to _mention_ it."

Regina corrects woodenly, and Emma splays her palms as she sighs

"Well then!"

"... _Were_ you thinking about it?"

"Weren't you!?"

"I was asleep."

"Oh... Well, I wasn't. And yeah, I thought about it a bit... Quite a lot, if you must know."

"What were your thoughts?... Why are you _grinning_?!"

"Well, mostly I was just thinking about what Henry would say if we told him. Not _graphically_ obviously! The PG version."

"... There _is_ no PG version. There is nothing that's happened that would equate to _anything_ that could be made into a PG version. We had... We had sex. I may like you as a person as you found it so _important_ for me to state, but there is nothing _else_ between us. _Certainly_ not anything for you to go _telling_ anyone about!"

The brunette snaps, and she wonders if the main cause for her sudden rage is a terror that she's wrong, but she refuses to entertain the possibility.

"I consider you my _friend_ , that's it. That's _all_."

She finishes bluntly, swallowing as her stomach knots uncomfortably.

"Oh. Okay."

Emma nods, and when Regina asks her if she sees things differently she shakes her head and replies with a touch of uncertainty

"No. Of course not."

"Good."

The brunette concludes, blaming the blonde for the confusion suddenly clouding her mind, and glaring at her accordingly. Before too long, she tires of this as she feels none of the self-assured righteousness that generally accompanies the expression. Opting for a truce with the handing over of the thermos, she continues quietly

"I told Tink I'd speak to you. She had some thoughts about how we should go from here... I told her that you might not like them... I _also_ told her that I agreed with her."

"Well _that's_ a shitty way to build your case. You'd suck at business."

"I have other desirable attributes."

"... What does Tinkerbell think?... God... I just heard myself actually _say_ that..."

"Look, I know you don't seem that sold on her, but-"

"-Oh, it's nothing against _her_. It's just... _Tinkerbell_... The movie and all that. It _still_ sometimes gets me when we have these discussions."

"I see."

Regina smirks.

"So?"

"Well, I'll start off by saying she thinks the three of us are likely the key players in our merry bunch; you and I being the best hand in combat. Myself with my magic, and you with your... Well, you know, anger management issues and love for swinging around weapons."

"Mmmhmm, I'll just bet that's how _she_ worded it too."

"She likened you to a dog."

"What the hell plan were you guys _making_?!"

"... She thinks if we go on with the three of us and raid Pan's camp, we stand a better chance then if we take the others. She'll play lookout, and we'll go in. It means we're less conspicuous, and it means... Well, it means _you're_ not going to be running around trying to save everyone."

"I do that a _lot_ , do I?"

Emma scoffs irritably, and Regina raises a brow as she points out silkily

"You'll have to forgive me if I fail to take your side on this one. The memory of trying to fish you out of the ocean is still fairly fresh."

"Oh, come on, I-"

"-You did what you _always_ do. What you were _made_ to do!... Emma, I know you _mean_ well, but your parents have spent almost thirty years teaching algebra and, well, _sleeping_."

"No thanks to _you_."

" _All_ thanks to me... Look, we stand a better chance of doing this safely if we go in with just the two of us. Then we'll find the others and find a way to get back. But, the more of us there are going into that camp, the higher the potential will be for something to go _wrong_. I already watched something go wrong last night, and I don't want to find out what that angsty little pre-teen has up his sleeve next. That was _frightening_ , do you realise that? Not _just_ for you. Imagine if _Henry_ had been there to see that... We don't want to take any chances we don't have to take... And I told you before... You're the next best hand in combat after myself."

" _Next_ best?!"

The blonde growls, mimicking her previous outrage and the amusement behind it.

"It's not a particularly _selective_ group to play the winner of, but you'll do. I know mommy and daddy Charming will be just _heartbroken_ not to have been asked to come along on this next little trek, but I'm willing to _risk_ that if it ups my odds of _survival_. If I'm going to have _anyone_ watching my back, I want it to be you."

"... They won't like it..."

"When we come back with Henry, do you really think they're even going to _care_?"

"They might."

"Emma-"

"-They might, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. _I'd_ rather just have _you_ watching my back in this instance also."

"You agree, then?"

"I do... But you do realise that I'm going to tell them this was all your idea when asked?"

"I would expect nothing less."

Regina smirks, and her eyes flicker to the ugly gash lining the blonde's cheek as her mind flashes her the image of the younger woman lying expectantly on her back in just her underwear, looking back up at her as they'd shared something more than just lust.

She looks hastily away.

"Wait here a second. I need to go do something."

She states primly, lowering herself off the rock and stalking around the cave. Emma laughs as she watches her go and sips at the coffee

"You know, it's ok to say you have to pee, Your Majesty!"

"I'm the Queen."

Regina snaps back over her shoulder, and she chuckles as the blonde sarks teasingly

"Oh, right. Lest anyone forget. Queens don't pee."

"They urinate."

She corrects loftily. Gleeful sniggering at this, before the younger woman's throaty laughter is suddenly cut off, and Regina stops in her tracks.

"Emma...?"

She calls nervously, before taking a couple of steps backwards with her eyes wide as the thorns in front of her begin to move.

"Emma, what happened to watching my back!?"


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hope you all had a good weekend :) Enjoy and please review! :)

" _Emma, what happened to watching my back?!"_

Regina cries out as two masked figures run out at her from the thicket. She raises her hands to ward them off, but before she can even think of sending them sprawling back into the undergrowth, she suffers a horrible pain to the back of her head and everything goes black.

Moment's later- at least, she presumes this to be the case- she blinks away the dark wings that cloak her vision and thrashes angrily in the grip of two captives that drag her non-ceremoniously through the dirt.

"Hey!"

She scolds furiously, struggling to get her feet underneath her, but her assailants are short, and the angle makes it difficult to push herself up.

"What do you think you're _doing_?!"

She demands, before letting out a grunt when the uncomfortably forceful grip beneath her armpits loosens and she's left to sprawl on her back against a large boulder. It's the same mound of rock she and Emma had been sat talking on, and she looks to her side to find the blonde sat looking rather irritated and dirty.

"You were supposed to be keeping watch!"

She grumbles breathlessly as she pushes herself up and moves to retaliate.

"Regina, watch-"

But the younger woman's warning trails off as the brunette begins coughing chestily; thick powder blown into her face through the end of a wooden pipe and catching in her hair.

"-Warned you."

Emma sighs, and when dark eyes glower at her feverishly, she struggles to push herself forward to allow the Mayor to glimpse the fact that her hands have been tied tightly behind her back with a hunk of vine.

"What _was_ that stuff?"

Regina asks, before yelping when one of the masked figures jumps on her to string her up much like the Sheriff has been. She shows her teeth angrily- outraged by such rough treatment- and snaps furiously when she's pulled once more so that she's sitting upright against the rock.

"What are you doing?"

Silence from their captors, but the blonde turns to her and explains

"I'm not sure what that stuff is. I can't use my magic, though. It's like it's been drained."

"Poppies..."

The brunette seethes, and she struggles along with Emma to try and peer behind them where the small group of assailants have gathered. The dull surface of the rock stands in the way, and the two women exchange a glance wrought with uncertainty.

"It's okay. They're just _kids_ , right?"

Emma whispers, and the Mayor concludes that she sounds as though she is trying to convince herself as much as she is offering comfort, and she nods woodenly as she tries to gain a little leverage from the tight bindings to her wrists.

"Yes, just kids."

She mutters, and she has the innate urge to snap at the blonde and ask her if she's forgotten their previous attack by Pan's boys, but Emma's expression suggests that the memory is still fresh in her mind.

"What do they _want_ , though?"

The younger woman mutters beneath her breath, also working to loosen her wrists with the occasional wince as she twists and strains the injury to her side. Looking down at the mud-slathered destruction of her clothes from being manhandled over to where they sit, Regina worries her bottom lip as she wonders if the blonde's own capture might have caused her some actual damage, but all she says is

"How am _I_ supposed to know?!"

Green eyes narrow at her irritably, and the Sheriff hisses

"Don't get all mad at _me_. _You_ didn't see them any more than I did!"

"Well, I was out in the open. You should have-"

"-Silence."

Comes an order from above them, and both women crane their necks up to look at a stocky figure stood up on the rock looming over them.

"Hey, listen, if you're going to-"

Emma starts, before shooting the Mayor a furious glance when the latter nudges her none too gently. Regina glares back at her warningly, and the blonde sighs as she looks up at the boy who jumps down from the rock and crouches to face them. He wears a hewn sack over his head with mismatched holes gouged out for the eyes. A mane of feathers has been woven into the seams to add vibrant colour, but the overall effect is ghoulish. From within the sack, bright blue eyes glitter, and though she has no clue why it might be, Regina is sure that they are filled with good humour.

"I said silence."

The boy reiterates, and the Mayor narrows her eyes as the blonde sighs irritably. Stocky limbs are streaked with dirt and dark blue paint, and the handle of a large buck knife sticks out of the kid's hellishly worn sneaker.

"You never _did_ listen, did you?"

He shakes his head as he turns to Emma, before getting up and stalking back behind the rock to talk to his companions.

"Check the cave."

He orders, and a steady patter of footsteps follows this request as at least some of the others do as he tells them.

Regina turns to Emma who frowns back at her, mirroring her look of perplexion.

"What did he mean by that? How does _he_ know?"

She mouths, and the younger woman shakes her head in confusion as she casts a dubious look up above them. A moment later, voices sound from inside the chasm of the cave, before a disgruntled growl both women recognise greets their unwanted guests.

"I'm coming, I'm coming, let _go_ of me."

Tinkerbell grumbles, and there's a rustling of leaves and a small thump followed by a pained yelp. The sound is the wrong pitch to belong to the fairy, and as the other two women struggle to see what's going on, a small boy of about seven comes shuffling into view, rubbing at his knee. They guess his age based on his stature as he too wears a mask, but he soon takes it off and tosses it into the mud, exposing cheeks tracked with tears as he sobs quietly.

"Oh, now look what you did."

Comes a disgruntled accusation from behind the rock, and Tinkerbell mutters something inaudible as another of the boys comes into view and places an arm around their comrade weeping childishly.

"Tinkerbell?"

Regina tries in hopes of getting to the bottom of their newest and uncomfortable dilemma, and the fairy comes padding around the rock to look down on her old friend and the young woman sat beside her with a bemused expression.

"What is going _on_?"

The Mayor demands, and Tink looks up at the others uncertainly and splays her palms.

"I don't know. Would you guys care to explain?"

She sounds irritated, but remarkably calm, and the blonde and the Mayor share a glance as four other boys walk slowly into view to make their number an even six. Standing in the middle is the stocky leader of their pack, although now that they are able to see him beside his peers, it seems that he is not in fact carrying extra fat, but rather muscle, and he stands a head above all the others save for one; a lanky boy with the ungainly proportions of a young teen.

"Put your mask back on."

The teen demands of the weeping boy now wiping at his nose. In doing so, he has smeared a glistening trail of dirt and snot across his cheek, and the Mayor wrinkles her nose while Emma frowns.

"It doesn't matter. Tink's here."

The leader advises calmly, and he places a gentle hand on the younger boy's shoulder before pulling a wrinkled swatch of fabric from his back pocket and handing it over so that the kid can clean himself up.

"Yes. _Tink's_ here. What's going on?"

The fairy asks, taking a seat on the rock and responding to Emma's distrustful glower with an infuriating shrug.

"Pan's looking for these two."

The boy in the sack explains, and the Mayor thins her lips before asking

"And what are _you_ doing?"

"We were looking for you, too."

He answers pleasantly enough, before casting his attention once more at the blonde; blue eyes meeting green through the holes in his disguise.

"I should have known it wouldn't be so easy."

"What do you mean?"

Emma asks, trying in vain to think if she recognises the kid's voice or eyes but completely in the dark as to who he might be. He seems to know _her_ though, and this frightens her quite badly though she tries not to let it show.

"You liked making things as hard as you possibly _could_ , Little Fawn."

The boy sighs, and the blonde swallows while the Mayor studies her warily out of the corner of her eye.

"Who are you?"

Emma asks quietly, but the boy moves back to address the fairy and ignores her.

"We followed the pirate at first. Killian Jones but he goes by another name now. Pan's got his eye on him and the others. He thought the pirate would lead him to her."

He gestures with his thumb towards the Sheriff, and Emma frowns as she tries once more to rid herself of her restraints; becoming increasingly agitated. Tinkerbell throws the other two women a glance before asking

"What does he want with her?"

"He wants to make sure they don't get in the way. The Saviour and the Queen. He wants to keep an eye on them, but they seem to have given him the slip. The pirate was supposed to keep her from being a threat. We came looking to see if we could find them, but following the Killian only led us back to the camp with the other two that have come here. We waited there a while, but the pirate told the others that these two had gone off alone. Pan's been hunting ever since. Fortunately, _we_ found you first."

"Wait. So you're _not_ one of the Lost Boys?"

Emma asks, and the lanky teenager shakes his head as he corrects

"We are. We belong to Pan, in any case."

"We're his."

The leader agrees, before making a small gesture with his hands and disappearing from view. In response to this silent order, the others lean over the two women bound in front of the rock and take a hold of them tightly.

"Hey, watch it!"

The blonde seethes, as the Mayor scolds in agreement

"There's no need to push!"

The boys lead them back into the cave, beckoning for Tinkerbell to follow, and the odd little group sidles with some difficulty through the narrow chasm in the rock until they spill out into the large cavern in which the women had slept.

"Sit."

The lanky teen orders, and Regina strives to peer through the darkness as the Sheriff feels around blindly for the edge of one of the beds. Once she finds it, she leans forward to brush her shoulder against the brunette's legs, causing the Mayor to let out a surprised gasp before taking a clumsy seat beside her.

"Harry, give me one of your matches."

One of the boys- possibly the leader of the group- requests, and after some fumbling in the darkness, a small flame is touched down into one of the candles to provide a little more light.

"Sorry about that."

The boy in the sack sighs, placing the candle back on the ledge and walking over to the women on the bed.

"Sorry for sneaking up on you like that, too. We _had_ to do it, you know that."

He shrugs, and the Mayor glowers at him reproachfully and mutters

"I know nothing of the sort. If you wanted to talk to us, you should have just _done_ so."

"Not true. You were ready to use magic on my boys just for startling you, and _she_ turned around on me grabbing for a sword."

He gestures towards Emma who narrows her eyes at him and asks irritably

"What do you _want_? What's going on?"

"I wanted to find you."

The boy explains patiently, turning to the smallest of his followers and murmuring something in their ear. The younger boy nods and hurries out of the cave. Catching the distrustful look the women react to this with, the leader sighs and confides

"Paul is going to keep watch in case Pan or any of the others show up."

"Any of who? You said you work for Pan."

Emma frowns, and the boy shakes his head and elaborates

"I'm a Lost Boy. We all are. But we don't work for Pan, not right _now_ we don't. He hasn't noticed yet, and that's good for all of us; you _and_ us lot. He's been too busy playing his games with all of you and with Henry-"

"-Henry?!"

"Where is he?!"

Both Emma and Regina start up immediately, and the boy holds his hand up in a request for silence.

"He's back at the camp. Don't worry- he's unharmed. Pan wants to use him, though. He's trying to trick him; trying to gain his trust. It's what he does, but this time, it might _work_. He really _might_ be able to use Henry to save the island... He hasn't told him yet what that would mean, but he will. He has to."

"What do you-"

"-He means to hurt him eventually. After he's dealt with the two of you... These are all secrets, though. The others don't know. They just do as they're told. Please, don't think too badly of them."

"So why do _you_ know all of this?"

Regina asks distrustfully.

"Because, I'm his confidante. I have been ever since Pan realised that Henry was who he was looking for. Before, he just knew that he was looking for the heart of the truest believer, that's all _any_ of us knew. Then he found out who Henry _was_ , who his _parents_ were, and that's why he brought me into all this."

"You knew Ne-Bealfire?"

Emma asks, and the boy looks back at her through the holes in his sack and shakes his head.

"That was a while before my time here. I know of him, but we never met. No, Emma, it's you who he's been asking me about. I couldn't tell him much, but enough to have been trusted with some of the facts. He means to kill you. Both of you... And then your son. _We_ don't want that to happen, and now we're here."

He finishes, showing his hands as if in truce, and the blonde frowns as she takes all of this in, before asking warily

"Who _are_ you?"

"A friend."

The boy replies, reaching up a hand and pulling the sack off of his head."

"You... You're... Oh my god!"


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well this is just going all sorts of places! I started this fic thinking it would be just some idle SQ bickering with a possible hook-up slipped in, and it's become... Some kind of adventure story :p I'm enjoying writing it a lot though, so hopefully it's also fun to read :)

"Matty?!"

Emma asks, looking not just surprised but completely stunned.

"We all thought you were _dead_!"

She exclaims, and the boy chuckles as several of his friends exchange glances behind their masks, and Regina frowns in confusion.

"Emma, who is he?"

She asks dubiously, and the blonde hesitates for a moment as she continues to drink in once familiar features as though checking her facts, before turning to the brunette and explaining uncertainly.

"Matty. Matthew Butcher."

"Should that mean anything to me?"

The Mayor frowns, aware that there are some sizeable gaps in her knowledge when it comes to popular culture.

"He's the _kid_. The kid that went missing, back at the home."

"Oh!"

The brunette's brows raise in surprise, and she turns to study the boy intently.

"What did you... How... I mean... What?"

The Sheriff strives to corral her thoughts, before jerking back when the kid pulls the large buckknife from his shoe. She catches the look Regina throws her way- a look of pleading panic; you know this kid, sort this out!- and she swallows as she tries her best; aiming to sound placating, but instead sounding rather perturbed.

"Hey! What are you _doing_? You said-"

"-Relax."

Matty smiles widely, revealing a gap where his left incisor should be. A gap that will forever remain so long as he lives on the island.

"Take your masks off, boys."

He orders calmly, before walking around the bed to stand behind both women who struggle to see what he plans to do.

"Hold still, Fawn."

He instructs, taking a hold of the blonde's forearm and sawing the knife through the vine binding her wrists, before doing the same for Regina. Padding back around to face them, he stands in front of his small crew who now look far less menacing without their disguises.

"Please don't call me that."

Emma sighs, thinking a little about the time in her life when that name had been applicable, but mostly thinking about her dream. About Henry. About Henry with no face.

"Alright... Emma."

Matty agrees, saying the blonde's name with an expression that suggests it doesn't come naturally to him. Striving to break the ice, he takes a seat on the bed opposite the two women; sitting beside Tinkerbell who watches on curiously.

"So, you thought I was dead, huh?"

"Well, that's what everyone was saying. The kids mostly, but the adults thought so too. There was an investigation and everything. They closed the orphanage."

"Really?"

The boy asks in surprise, and the blonde shrugs before informing the kid

"Some of us were thinking you'd been buried out in the back somewhere."

Regina shoots her an odd glance, thinking this is a rather strange thing to be telling a child, but when she catches the look Emma and the boy share, it dawns on her that the last time the blonde had seen Matty, she would have been younger than he was, and she speaks to him how she would have spoken to him then; with the macabre fascination of the young. She raises a brow as she studies the Sheriff in a curious new light, still wary of their strange situation, but also intrigued.

"I bet _you_ were one of the ones saying it?"

Matty grins, and the blonde offers him a look of impish silence that the Mayor has come to know well. It's the look the younger woman would sometimes give her when she'd known she was winning at one of their little games, although it lacks the final touch Emma seems to save for her alone.

It lacks the fire.

"What happened after that?"

The boy asks, and Emma sighs as she imparts

"Mass exodus. Same as what always happens; we all got carted off somewhere else."

A small, accepting nod at this from the kid, and the brunette shifts her weight a little uncomfortably; not liking the casual tone the younger woman uses to speak of what she does, but understanding now- now that she's witnessing a conversation between two in the know- that it's not just Emma being _Emma_ and being irritatingly stoic, but rather a communally used coping mechanism. This is actually something the blonde has told her before, not in so many words, but it hurts her heart a little to actually 'get it'.

_Oh dear. It seems I really do quite like her after all._

"But what happened with _you_ , Matty? How did you end up here?"

Emma interrupts the Mayor's private dismay, and Regina looks back at the boy as she considers this to be a fairly poignant question.

"Same as what happened to _all_ of us here. Pan. Back in St Catherine's, he started coming to visit me. The first time I saw him, he was just hovering out the window looking in."

Matty explains, and there is no hint to his tone that this should be considered even remotely strange, and the two women each wonder if this is due to being desensitised through his time on the island, or simply because he has remained perpetually eleven.

"I don't think he was looking for me in particular, but I was the only one awake, and my bunk faced the window. Do you remember the bunks, Li- Emma?"

"Three to a room downstairs, four upstairs."

"Yeah. I was awake because I'd been arguing with that total booger Wesley about who should sleep in the top bunk. Technically, that bed was mine, but he used to complain about it something rotten. You remember what he was like."

"Kind of."

Emma shrugs, not really remembering at all. She's seen a lot of faces in a lot of places over the years, and the main reason she remembers Matty so well is because he was the kid that was likely brutally murdered and chopped up into little pieces; either to be added to their lunch in place of beef, or buried in the back of the garden depending on who you asked.

"I was awake because that dweeb hit me in the eye, then I saw Pan, just looking in through the window. He was smiling, and eventually I realised he was smiling at _me_. I don't know what made me do it, but I went over to the window and cracked it open. He spoke to me and he seemed nice, he really _did_ at the time. The next night, he showed me Neverland... I came here three times, before I agreed to stay."

"Wait, I'm sorry, but a boy was hovering outside your window using _magic_ and your just _trusted_ him?"

Regina interrupts with a frown, and Matty offers her a solemn look as he sighs

"Well, of _course_ I did. He was Peter Pan."

"How-"

"-We all knew the story."

Emma chips in, and dark brows furrow as the Mayor strives to get a handle on things.

"But Neal-"

"-Neal came over here _years_ before Matty will have done. The book's _ages_ old, and even the Disney movie came out in the fifties, I think. We _all_ knew the story of Peter Pan... And Tinkerbell."

The blonde tacks on, looking over at the fairy who raises a brow in surprise.

"In the story, he's the good guy. He's the hero."

Matty explains, shaking his head, and Regina glances at Emma as if for confirmation and the blonde nods.

"If we ever get out of here, I got Henry a big box-set of classics; like his book, but the tellings I knew as a kid. The tellings that are told in our world at home. You should read them. It would save _this_ happening so often."

The blonde advises, and the Mayor rolls her eyes as she snaps

"I've been a little _busy_ , Miss Swan."

Grinning, Emma turns back to the kid and asks

"How come you didn't take any of the others with you? How come he only wanted you?"

"He didn't... Not at first."

"No?"

"No. He agreed to take me in exchange for some information if he ever needed it... And I never liked any of the others. I didn't even really like _you_! You're a-... You _were_ a girl."

"Information on what?"

Regina asks, smirking herself now as she catches the slight frown of offence that touches the blonde's brow.

"Her."

Matty sighs, nodding towards Emma whose brow furrows deeper.

"Me? Why me? Why is it always _me_?"

"Because, you're the Saviour."

The Mayor and Matty reply in unison, and the blonde throws her head back with a groan.

"If he wanted to know about Emma, why didn't he just take _her_ , though?"

Regina muses, and this time it's Tink who answers, accompanied by several nods of agreement from the boys stood patiently behind Matty.

"Pan doesn't take girls."

"But, Wendy-"

"-Came with her brothers... And was more trouble than she was worth."

Tinkerbell explains, and Emma studies her with a look of bemusement, remembering just how much of a little shit she'd thought Tinkerbell to be in the Disney movie.

"Yeah?"

"Yes. Girls are harder to break... There's also something about the island that they don't do well with. I don't know what."

Tink shrugs, and the Sheriff sighs as she mutters beneath her breath

"Well, _you_ seem perfectly healthy and opinionated."

"I'm a _woman_."

Tinkerbell snaps loudly, and Regina looks from one to the other and rolls her eyes.

"Why did Pan want to know about the Saviour? You said he only _recently_ discovered who Henry was."

"Yes, but it's always a good idea to have a fallback. It took me a while to really believe she was, you know, all _that_ , but the power of the Saviour and of your curse was spread around the realms. We heard it from the mermaids."

"Of _course_ you did."

Emma grumbles, and the brunette's lip twitches in amusement, but she strives to get to the main point of their situation.

"What does he want with Henry?"

"His heart."

Matty admits apologetically, and both Emma and Regina shoot a murderous glance at the fairy when she asks

"So why hasn't he taken it yet?"

"Because Henry doubts him still. Pan's been playing his games and working his tricks like he always does, but Henry's not like the others here. Pan takes boys that will trust him completely and see him as enough to replace their families, at least for a while. Henry is less in awe of magic than the others have been because he's seen it used before, so he's not falling for Pan's tricks. He also loves the two of you very fiercely... No other boy's parents have come looking for him, and Pan's unsure what to do about this hole you've hacked into his plan. He's been trying to convince Henry that you two have left him- _forgotten_ him- but it's not working as well as it usually does. I've seen boys howl and cry for their mothers who were easily led to believe that they were _lost_ because no one was interested in _finding_ them. I didn't cry myself when I came here- not for my parents- because my mother died when I was a baby and my daddy died when I was eight... There are some here like me, but not all of them. The ones with families cry... Henry hasn't yet that I've seen. He doesn't know that the two of you are here, not for certain, but he was willing to _hope_ that you might be. He believes in you both, and while he does, Pan's afraid that what he needs to do won't work. Henry has to give his heart by _choice_ , and he won't while it still belongs to the two of you."

"Really?"

"Wow..."

The blonde and brunette exchange a glance, each allowing a small smile, before turning back to the boy sat in front of them.

"So how do we _stop_ all this?"

Emma asks, and Matty hangs his head as he rubs his thumbs nervously together.

"I don't know. No one has ever stopped Pan from getting what he wants... We didn't really get any further into the plan than trying to find the two of you. Pan's angry that whatever his trick with Killian was didn't keep you off his tail as he thought it would. He's not going to _play_ next time, he's going to _fight_..."

Regina sighs as she pulls her jacket a little closer to her, chancing a look at Emma and seeing that the blonde looks just as perturbed as she'd thought she would.

 _Really? That was a_ game _? What he tried to have Hook do to her was a_ game _?!_

"Then we're going to fight _back_."

Emma hisses angrily, and the brunette swallows as she recalls the way the younger woman had fought pinned beneath the pirate.

 _She means to kill him. I wish to do the same, and I will if I get the chance, but Miss Swan, she means to flay him alive_.

"I hope that's possible."

Matty nods eagerly, before warning

"Because you two may as well have a bull's-eye on your backs."

"It's always good to have motivation."

Emma growls, and the Mayor allows a small smirk before asking curiously

"Won't _you_ all be in trouble once he finds out your missing, too?"

"We will. He's probably already noticed... Fortunately you decided to stay in the cave, so it saves us bringing you here. Pan doesn't know about this place, only a few of us do. Tink showed us."

"Baelfire showed me-" Tinkerbell interrupts, and she shrugs as the women look at her and explains "-Pan's spell only lasts so long. He has his loyal following, and it's the majority of the boys just to be clear... But there are plenty who have grown to fear him and his close group up at the top of the foodchain. It's hard to hide on this island, but not impossible. Pan is tricky and sly, but he's only one person. His Shadow is the real danger, as it's much harder to see and predict... It searches out deserters and rats on them. Here, the cave is too deep. A Shadow in pure darkness ceases to exist, it just becomes a part of it. Here, the Shadow can't find us, only Pan can, and we will see him coming."

"Why _risk_ it, though?"

Regina asks the boys, and a couple of the shrug and this time it's the teen's turn to speak up; skinny and shy looking without his mask, with a curious bump in his long nose as though it has been recently broken.

"Because Pan _means_ it when he says he's going to kill you. Sometimes bad things happen on the island, but not murder. Never _murder_... But we saw what happened to the other adults that came here... He killed _them_ and they did as he _said_. With you two, he means to make a show of it, he's got us making weapons. We don't want to kill anybody."

He puts his hand on one of the smaller boy's shoulders as the latter shivers. Matty nods, before turning to Emma.

"I remembered you, too. Sure, you were a _girl_ , and a pretty crafty one at times too, but you helped when Chesca got stuck climbing out the kitchen window instead of tattling on her and said you'd been the one to scuff up the wall instead. You didn't have to do that, you were new, but you did it anyway. You didn't let the big kids pick on Willy, and you called me Matty, not Lard-Ass. That was _years_ ago, but you never did anything mean to me when I knew you. Pan's _often_ mean to us. We weren't _friends_ as kids, I know that, but I don't want to kill you."

"... Well, that's always nice to hear."

The blonde nods, a little dazed as a whole hoard of memories come rushing back to her and she offers him a wan smile.

" _I_ don't really want you to kill us either."

"Then we agree."

The kid jokes, before looking behind him at the others thoughtfully and turning back to the women.

"We came to find you and we came to help you, but _you_ have to promise _us_ something."

"Okay?"

"We want to go home. Our real homes. If you can take us back with you, we'll tell you anything you need to know."

Emma and Regina exchange a brief glance before nodding in unison.

"Deal."


	31. Chapter 31

"So, how do we do this?"

Emma asks, looking from Matty to Regina and hoping _one_ of them will have a plan as for now her head is just swimming of fractions of them, several of which seem unlikely to end all too happily.

"We need to consider that it's not just about getting _in_ , it's about getting Henry _out_."

Regina reasons, and the others nod in agreement.

"I guess one of the _first_ things we want to do is let him know we're looking for him. We can't risk Pan getting into his head while we're sat here trying to figure out a way of going forwards."

The Sheriff muses, and the brunette throws her an approving glance before turning back to their current pre-pubescent leader.

"Can one of your boys-"

"-It's too dangerous, they _already_ think Pan knows something's up."

The blonde interrupts, and for a second she sees a flash of the darker woman as she once was- self serving and cold- before the Mayor sighs reluctantly and murmurs that she supposes the younger woman has a point.

"There _might_ be another way."

Tinkerbell speaks up, and she prickles visibly when all eyes suddenly fix on her.

" _I_ could try and get through to Henry. I'm most likely to be safe."

"If he knew we were travelling with Hook, won't he have realised _you_ were with us, too?"

Emma frowns, and the fairy shrugs as she explains simply

"Sure, he probably knows I was seen around your camp, whether he saw it for himself of the Shadow told him. That doesn't mean he'll suspect I've shown any _loyalty_ to any of you."

"... Why _wouldn't_ he presume that?"

Green eyes narrow, and Regina's expression backs up the Sheriff's as she studies Tink shrewdly.

"Pan's relationship with myself is complicated. We have a kind of... 'Live and let live' deal going on. He neither trusts me nor distrusts me, and has known me to approach any newcomers to the island in a similar manner. He doesn't _know_ about my previous association with Regina; we met as adults and what happens past adolescence is usually none of his concern. The Shadow may have spied us together at the camp, but that doesn't mean I've taken up a _side_ in any of this... _Especially_ when he hears how all of you have treated me."

"What do you _mean_?! We put you up for the night-"

"-You _mocked_ me and _insulted_ me."

Tinkerbell insists, and Emma narrows her eyes while Regina opens her mouth to ask the fairy just what on earth she might be going on about, before the blonde beside her sighs as understanding creeps through her irritation.

"Oh... Do you think he'll buy it?"

Emma asks, and Tinkerbell shrugs as she points out sassily

"I'd think so, he has _met_ the two of you."

"You know-"

"-I _know_ that I'm offering to _help_ you. Remember that when you choose your next words."

The fairy warns, and the Sheriff bites her tongue with a glower, before grinning defeatedly

"Okay, fine. I guess I _can_ be a bit of a dick. As can she."

She jerks her thumb in the Mayor's direction, and dark eyes glitter as the brunette scowls in return.

"He'll believe me. He has no reason _not_ to."

Tinkerbell continues, offering both women a small smile as she still can't quite get her head around her current company.

"Besides, I'm not really trying to _convince_ Pan of anything at all. I just need him to trust that I find you and your camp to be distasteful, and find a way to get close to your son. The rest is up to you. A message from _me_ will mean nothing."

"But you-"

"-I'm a stranger to your boy. One he apparently knows by name, but why would me telling Henry that you two are here and searching for him ring any more true than Pan telling him you've given up and deserted him? The words must be _yours_ , I will simply take them to him using this."

Tink dips into one of the many pockets hidden in the folds of her skirt before pulling out a small shard of darkened glass.

"This is obsidian. It works in a way similar to mirror glass, but it traps your voices. I thought maybe having you enchant a mirror shard for me to give to Henry would work, but it's too risky; I don't know when I'm going to be able to hand him anything, or when he'll be able to use it, meaning there's no way for _you_ to know when he'll be on the other side of the glass, and now is not the time to experiment. Obsidian can be enchanted to trap the enchanter's voice so that it can't be intercepted."

"No?"

Regina raises a brow, having seen a small diamond shaped piece of the stuff in her mother's bureau as a girl, but never having used it herself.

"No. Ordinarily its used by those who practice the darker arts, as it requires blood to unlock it, but the magic itself is innocuous; it simply works as any familial charm might. Obsidian can be used by anyone possessing power, but to seal it and keep its secrets from any but the intended, it is best used between kin. Regina, your magic is well-practiced, if you enchant the shard, you and your frie-... Emma can speak a few words into it. Once done, Emma can seal it with a drop of her blood... If you have any to _spare_ , that is?"

Tinkerbell finishes, handing the stone to the Mayor, and the Sheriff glares at her as she informs her firmly

"I'm fine."

"Forgive me for showing concern, how rude of me."

Tink sniffs, and Emma begins growling at her that her concern stinks a whole lot like various varieties of excrement when firm fingers dig into her thigh in the cruel demand that she shut up.

"What do we say?"

Regina asks, and the fairy redirects her attention onto the brunette as she splays her palms out helplessly.

"How would _I_ know? That's for the two of you to decide. Bare in mind that your message must be kept short; the piece I have is only small. Think also on the fact that Henry won't have the same mentoring as you have just received. If I manage to get the shard to him, I can hopefully offer him a hint on how to obtain its secret, but this island is full of trickery, and if I were you, I would open with something that only the two of you might know. That's really the only message that you _need_ to pass along, anyway. If he believes it came from you, he'll know the rest. He'll know you're looking for him and thinking about him. That's quite an advantage in the face of a monster like Pan."

"He'll have something no one _else_ here has."

Matty agrees solemnly, large eyes fixed on the two women sat shoulder to shoulder on the cot bed. He feels the first pang of jealousy that he has felt in years, and he imagines the others behind him feel it too. It's odd to him- crazy to him- in a way, as the blonde wishing to find her son had once come up little higher than his chest and had a tendency to sleep with a nightlight. She's an adult now, a grown-up, and suddenly he wishes that he were blessed with that luxury also. She and the brunette have come here on a mission, and he can see in each of their faces that while they might be afraid- _who knew adults might still feel fear?_ \- they mean to see it through to the end. They mean to 'F' Pan up, as his old roommate might once have said, because they're adults, and when a kid like Pan starts misbehaving- really, _really_ misbehaving- that kid gets a time out. That kid gets punished. That kid gets put back in his place.

 _They're going to beat him, they_ have _to. And then we're going home. We're going home, and we're growing up. It's time._

"He'll have hope."

He sighs wistfully, and Emma eyes him back intently as she corrects

"He _has_ hope. Henry _always_ has hope," she assures, skipping out the fact that this can sometimes irk her something terrible, "He just needs affirmation. Hope is powerful, all the stories say so. Just imagine what _certainty_ might bring."

"Indeed."

Regina agrees, allowing a small hint of a smile as she studies the younger woman curiously, not necessarily surprised at the blonde's words, but rather the fact that she would say them in a room filled with strangers.

"What do we say?"

She repeats, this time to Emma, and the Sheriff cocks her head as she thinks this over, before smiling.

"We tell him a secret, like Tinkerbell said. Something only _we_ know. You tell him something from when he was a kid; something stupid. Something no one else knows about."

"I'm sure I can think of something."

Regina nods, her smile matching the blonde's, and she holds out her hand to take the stone from Tink.

"Me too."

Emma grins, and she watches as the brunette closes her eyes and a purple ripple seems to dance over the damning black surface of the shard.

"Okay..."

The Mayor breathes, raising the stone up in front of her before looking around the room uncomfortably.

"It's okay, you have to whisper it."

Tinkerbell smiles, and the brunette nods as she holds the stone to her lips before hesitating once more.

"... We need to do this alone. This is... It's-"

"-Private."

Emma finishes, and the Mayor nods. Tink pulls a face, but Matty nods in agreement and beckons the others back towards the chasm.

"We'll wait just outside, whenever you're ready."

He assures, and Tinkerbell sighs as she pushes herself up; following the boys out. She turns as she leaves and imparts

"When you're done, Emma needs to seal it. Her blood will be the first to touch it, and will allow Henry's to unlock whatever lies inside that stone. Just a drop or two will do."

"Thank you."

Regina nods, and the Sheriff exchanges a glance with the fairy to acknowledge her own gratitude.

"Are you ready?"

She asks as they find themselves alone, and the brunette swallows before raising the stone once more to her lips. She cups it in her hands and whispers into it, closing her eyes as she does so to send a single tear rolling down her cheek. Then she passes it to Emma.

The blonde follows suit and whispers into the shard, feeling its odd power pulse in her palms. Lowering it once she's imparted her secret, she looks up at the brunette.

"I almost feel like it'd be wasteful not to make use of what accessible blood I have."

She jokes, but the weight of their situation keeps any real humour from her tone as her eyes remain fixed on the black shard in her palm.

"Perhaps, but it would be unwise to open up healing wounds. Give me your hand."

Regina orders, taking pale fingers in her own as she reaches up to pluck a simple silver brooch from the lapel of her jacket.

"Sorry..."

She mutters awkwardly, prefacing a slow dig of the brooch's needle into the pad of the younger woman's index finger. Emma says nothing, and simply watches bright blood well up as the Mayor retracts the pin. Squeezing gently to coax out a little more, she looks up to find dark eyes solemn and unhappy.

"Regina?"

"Go on, Miss Swan. Seal the stone. After all, _you're_ his mother."

The darker woman sighs, and the blonde frowns as she stills in her move to hover her finger over the shard.

"So are you."

"Of _course_ I am. Magic is just a little old fashioned when it comes to _rules_."

She sniffs coldly, and the Sheriff considers this uncomfortably, before taking the brooch from the Mayor with her undamaged hand and requesting the brunette offer her up her own.

" _You're_ his mother, Regina. Same as I am. If my blood seals this stone, only Henry's- or my parents'- will unlock it. That doesn't mean yours shouldn't be in there too."

"You're going to stab me for no actual reason?"

Regina growls irritably, trying to keep the salt from her voice, before hissing between her teeth as Emma jabs her deep in the whorls of her finger.

"I just _told_ you the reason. You're his mother. We both are."

The blonde corrects firmly, and she raises her finger over the shard and allows fresh blood to splash onto the stone. It glistens there on the surface for a moment, before seeming to seep into the glass. Letting out a low breath, she catches a small nod from the brunette.

"You did it."

Regina whispers, and the blonde swallows, reaching out for the Mayor's hand and holding her finger over the stone. She squeezes gently, and they watch as a second bead of blood splashes onto midnight black.

Nothing happens.

"Some of the rules are _dumb_ , you've told me that before. This is about us getting _Henry_ back, and I don't think anything about using your blood to do so is dumb or without reason, and neither would he."

Emma states quietly, and the brunette offers her a wan smile as she gets up and blots her abused finger on a scrap that remains of their previous first aid attempts. The younger woman sticks her own in her mouth before inspecting it curiously.

"So now we just give this to Tink?"

"Yes. We give it to Tinkerbell.

Regina nods, holding out her hand for the stone and taking it over to the mouth of the chasm.

"I'll tell them we're done. Change the candle, it's about to go out."

She instructs, disappearing from sight.

A moment later, she stalks back into the cave, watching as Emma makes her way back to the cot as a new candle burns brightly in its shell. The blonde still moves with a notable tenderness, and Regina sighs as she walks over to her.

"Tink's left to find Henry. The others are going to get provisions so that they can stay here; they say they know a way that should be safe, so it's just you and me until they get back."

"Yeah?"

Emma smirks, flashing the Mayor her tongue. Ther latter rolls her eyes as she takes a seat on the cot beside her.

"How are you doing?"

"Well, better now that we have a plan of sorts, I-"

"-I meant your side. Is it sore?"

"Oh. A little, but that's not that weird, right?"

"No, I wouldn't have thought so. Let me take a look, though."

"I-"

Emma starts up, but the brunette doesn't wait for permission, and instead simply pushes her down onto the bed; carefully but firmly. Offering the younger woman a small smile as she glowers up at her haughtily, she inches Emma's sweater up gently.

"I was kind of hoping for something _else_ what with your whole 'just you and me' comment."

The Sheriff grumbles amiably, and dark eyes flicker up to meet green as the Mayor scoffs

"Yes, your health and wellbeing are _such_ a bore, Miss Swan."

"I just meant-"

Emma starts, before trailing off as the brunette moves slowly over to straddle her thighs lightly, baring down on her with an intensity fit to scald.

"It's healing and still clean. No signs of any infection. You're going to live."

"Yay."

"...What you just did with that needle, Miss Swan, that hurt."

"I didn't _mean_ for it too! Are you honestly pissed at me for _that_? I was just trying to-"

"-No. I'm not. Quite the opposite."

"Huh... Sounds like I might be in your good books, then?"

"For now."

"And we have this cave all to ourselves..."

"We do."

"... Am I going to have to spell this out for you?"

Emma grins, and Regina sighs as she dips her head to nip sharply at the younger woman's clavicle.

"You're becoming a little one-minded, dear."

"Adrenaline mixed with finally answering a hell of a lot of questions you've been trying to figure out for over a year will do that."

"Questions...?"

"You _know_ what I'm talking about. And if you don't _want_ to play along, no one's making y-..."

But the younger woman trails off with a low sigh as full lips find her own and deft hands move down to unbutton her jeans.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Debated whether to add this scene but I think some things needed saying, and it had been a little while :p Enjoy, please review :)

Unfastening rough denim, Regina pushes the younger woman's jeans out of the way as best she can, but keeps her palm braced on the blonde's pubic bone to keep her from lifting her hips. Her gaze lingers on the cruel wound just above the sharp curve of the Sheriff's pelvis, before flickering up to meet cool green.

"What did you mean?"

"When?"

"You said you were finally able to answer questions you've had for a while now... What did you mean?"

"... It doesn't matter, it's dumb."

Emma sighs, but when the Mayor makes no move to take things further, she looks away and mutters awkwardly.

"You said you didn't want to talk about it. I'd rather not either as you made your position fairly clear. Let's just leave it and get down to what we've figured works. You-"

"-My position on what?"

Regina interrupts with a frown, and the younger woman pulls a face as she fiddles with her hair uncomfortably.

"Emma?"

"You said that we were friends, and that's it. And I'm _glad_ we are, hell it's taken long enough!"

"... You don't see it like that? You said you felt the same way."

"Of course I did. What _else_ was I going to say in response to that?"

The blonde huffs, reaching up to start ridding the brunette of her sweater pointedly. Regina gives her a hand and pulls it up over her head and tosses it onto the other cot, watching pale fingers as they progress to unbuttoning her shirt.

"Do you not see things the same way?"

She tries again, softer this time, and she sighs when Emma ignores her; the younger woman simply offering her a guarded look, before leaving her in just her bra. Moving her hand and coaxing the blonde to help her pull down tight denim, she tosses the Sheriff's jeans onto the other bed along with her boots. She leans over to push black wool further up to expose the younger woman's bra and hovers over her hesitantly.

"You said you'd had them over a year... These questions...?"

"Drop it, Regina."

Emma shakes her head, pulling the brunette down onto her with a low hiss of pain. The Mayor moves swiftly and carefully to shift her weight off the blonde's side and allows the younger woman to kiss her deeply, before she pulls back to study her once again.

"You've been thinking about me like this for over a year?"

She muses, and sharp teeth show in warning as Emma offers her silence in return. Noting the way the younger woman has tensed up and has stopped touching her, she acknowledges the glint of apprehension spoiling pretty desire, and leans back down to brush her lips slowly against the Sherrif's. Offering up the soft velvet of her tongue, Regina feels the blonde finally begin to relax again, and she moves her hand slowly lower between them to cup scant underwear. She swallows audibly and trails perfect teeth lightly over a high cheekbone, before whispering quietly in the younger woman's ear.

"Much as it pains me to admit it, I'm glad we're finally friends, and I would hate to ruin that... Long before I saw you _that_ way though, I had my own questions. Especially just recently."

"Recently?"

Emma breathes, curling her fingers into the sides of the brunette's underwear and twisting experimentally. The darker woman's palm grinds against her need in sweet response, and Regina admits huskily

"Since Graham was dealt with, you and I have shared a similar position of look but don't touch. I looked plenty and liked what I saw, though I was able to appease that distasteful notion by knowing you were a complete fool behind it all. You were off limits to people in town. I would tease you for your behaviour and make salacious implications, but the words were empty; I knew you were just as untouchable as I was. Then Neal came along, and the Pirate. Good news for me in terms of ammunition to make your life a living hell, and yet... By the time we landed ourselves on this godforsaken island, I'd been asking myself quite a few questions indeed."

"... You were jealous?"

The blonde asks, and rather than colouring her tone with sarcasm, she sounds genuinely intrigued.

"That was one of the things I had started to ask myself."

Regina admits, and she supposes she might regret being so candid before too long, but the Sheriff's soft touch has started again in response, with the younger woman releasing her tight grip on her underwear and exporing the soft skin of her ribs in a teasing fashion.

"Most of the time I figured you were just being _you_ and enjoying making my life miserable-"

Emma confides as she slips her fingers into dark hair and guides the darker woman to bite wetly at her jaw.

"-You seemed a little too eager sometimes, though. Like a dog with a bone. Sometimes, I would wonder whether you were amused or annoyed when you'd go on about either one of those two. I told myself not to be so stupid, and that I was simply being optimistic... It was a tantalising thought, though; that you were nipping at me because you were jealous rather than simply tormenting me like usual."

"You like it."

Regina scoffs, nipping at the younger woman's lip in response to her words before kissing her hungrily. She wonders if this discussion is wise, but just like everything else between them of late, this heated confessional is affecting her deeply.

Slickly.

"Sometimes I do... Knowing you were confused is _much_ more fun, though."

Emma smirks, and she digs her nails into the brunette's shoulder blade as the latter slips sly fingers into damp cotton and enters her roughly. She sighs appreciatively, realising that this is yet again another step towards danger, as there is no alcohol, no excuse and no gentleness to their current game. This is in some ways a test for each of them, and she looks up into dark eyes which glitter with sin.

"Maybe we can answer a couple more questions..."

She breathes quietly, and the Mayor raises a brow before stilling when exploratory fingers come to rest over the clasp of her bra. She meets Emma's loaded stare intently, wondering if this is all becoming too much, before thinking of the way the blonde had pierced her flesh with the needle and offering a small nod.

 _Things were intimate the moment you decided to open that damned_ mouth _of yours and surprise me as you seem so talented in doing. Have a look, dear. We've come this far._

Still, she swallows as Emma unhooks luxurious silk and pulls it away to fall and catch at her wrists; exposing her almost entirely. She feels both excitement and uncertainty; looking down into familiar features and understanding that things have well and truly crossed another line.

"Huh. Just as I suspected."

The blonde jokes, but her voice is gravelly with lust and the Mayor allows a slow smile, sitting back and allowing the younger woman to study her openly.

"Better than in the dark under a sleeping bag?"

She teases silkily, and Emma swallows before grinning

"I dunno. That was in-tents."

Laughter at this from the blonde mixed with an expression of amused agony as her hand goes down to her side, and Regina rolls her eyes as she dips down swiftly and bites the younger woman's throat.

"Hey! That was _good_! Come on! You-"

But Emma breaks off as the brunette pushes her sweater up higher and hooks a finger into the narrow strip between the cups of her bra. Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, she locks eyes with Regina as the latter pulls down slowly to free pert flesh.

"If you're going to do it, do it properly."

The blonde advises quietly after a long stretch of silence, and Regina nods as she slips her hand under the Sheriff and works free tricky teeth. Sitting back, she watches as Emma pulls away her sweater and tank before untangling herself from her bra with a small wince. Her eyes flicker down to the wound to the blonde's hip, before once more meeting the Sheriff's own.

"Kind of puts a dampener on stuff."

Emma sighs, having followed the direction of the Mayor's gaze.

Shrugging lightly Regina drinks in pale skin and muses huskily

"No. This is the way it is because of what happened. It let the guard down for each of us in a way."

"I guess so, as messed up as that sounds. Just means some questions might have to wait."

"Wait? You speak as though this is simply the _beginning_ of something. _Presumptuous_ , don't you think, dear?"

"Not really. Not with the way you're looking at me."

"... Hmm."

The brunette offers finally, and she watches as the younger woman works open the clasp of her dress pants.

"Just 'hmmm'? No comeback?"

Emma smirks in surprise, and Regina cocks her head with a pleasured hiss between her teeth as the Sheriff dips her hand inside wet silk before admitting sultrily

"You made a fair point, I'm just surprised you did so out loud."

"Calling you out, Madame Mayor?"

The blonde jests, and dark eyes glitter as the brunette confides

"I should think by now the fact that you surprise me might be fairly obvious... And there you go hinting at more to come."

The Sheriff grins at this, before pointing out regretfully

"I'm not sure if I'd call it a _surprise_ that I don't wish to lie still and be careful all the time... If that _does_ surprise you, I'm almost offended."

"You don't really strike me as the sort."

Regina smirks, her stomach tightening as she considers several alternative prospects hinted at by Emma's words. Still, for now they will work with what they have. The blonde might resent having to mind herself in this instance, but this isn't an entirely shared regret. Last night, the fact that it meant everything would be slower and more of a conscious act had bothered her, but now the Mayor finds herself appreciating the fact. She is surprised that she has confided any of her previous private thoughts just now, just as she is almost shocked to hear the same from Emma. The way the blonde had considered her feelings when enchanting the shard though, and the interaction and information she'd witnessed between Emma and Matty has left a lingering feeling of fondness for the younger woman that makes their admissions a little less damning. In the past, she has responded to every uncouth thought her mind has dreamt up of the Sheriff with confusion and rejection; discounting them as madness despite their appeal. Now, studying the younger woman as the latter looks up at her intently, all of the times that she has told herself that her daydreaming was wrong- _so_ wrong!- seem unfounded. She likes the Sheriff- _really_ likes her- and she knows and believes that Emma feels the same way about her. Adrenaline and lust still course maddeningly through her blood, but for the first time they are not joined by a feeling of uncertainty. They are about to set off on a journey- a mission- in which they might befall very real danger to reach a common and desperate goal, and this time, that niggling residue of doubt is replaced by a camaraderie and a closeness she finally welcomes in with open arms.

"When we get off this island, you can make it up to me."

She challenges finally, and sharp teeth flash in a sinful grin as Emma watches her slip off the bed and step out of her dress pants. She casts a loaded look at the younger woman, before sliding down the remaining swatch of her underwear slowly and climbing back ontop of the blonde entirely bare.

"Okay."

Emma agrees a little dazedly, and Regina leans back down to brush at her lips while hooking her finger into the waistband of the scant cotton and moving blindly to pull the Sheriff's underwear down her legs. She makes a choked noise as she does so, as Emma finds her heat and teases her playfully until she lowers herself back down to straddle a slender thigh. Deepening their kiss, the Mayor takes care to keep her weight to one side as she slips her own hand down between them; entering the blonde once more as the latter explores her flesh and encourages her to move.

"I don't want to wish for the end of a good thing, but those boys will be coming back some time soo-"

Regina breaks off with a groan as the younger woman moves her leg to pull her closer and applies a wet bite to her breast. The blonde takes care to measure the force used by her teeth; pressing her tongue to trapped flesh beneath as she slips her own hand down to help along the darker woman's pleasure. Regina deepens her assault in response, and watches curiously as Emma pushes herself back into the pillow with her eyes shut and mouth open.

"See, dear. I make a perfectly good top."

The brunette teases breathlessly, recalling the younger woman's goading back in the tent. The blonde grins at this without opening her eyes and pants

"Agreed. I make a pretty good girl, too."

Studying long hair spilling over the pillow and the delicate flush to the Sheriff's chest, Regina nods as she kisses the blonde hungrily, allowing soft moans to escape her lips to be swallowed as the ecstasy coiling low in her stomach begins to unravel. She can feel the tension in the younger woman's lithe form as she shudders against her, and she grinds a trembling hand against the latter's heat to elicit a low cry into her hair.

"That was... It was good."

Regina pants eventually as she moves carefully to sit up and regard the blonde.

"Thanks, it was my idea."

Emma grins, watching as the brunette climbs from the bed in a glowing promise of bare flesh and stalks to the other side of the cave to gather her things. She brings over the younger woman's jeans as well and hands them to her once she's slipped back into her clothes; her eyes fixated on pale legs until Emma pulls dark denim up to hide the view.

"We should probably start getting some supplies together. Most of the stuff is still at the camp."

The blonde muses as she locates her bra and top and denies the brunette her current voyerurism with a small smile.

"We'll gather what we can, and I'll be able to help out in some instances. We can't go back to the camp, not until this is all over. You know how your parents would be."

"I know... They must be getting worried again by now, though."

Emma sighs, and Regina nods as she agrees

"Of _course_ they will be. You know this is for the best, though. If you won't accept that from Tink, at least accept it from me."

"I told you already, I think you're right. It's kind of crazy though, after what Matty and the others said. I mean, apart from you... And I guess your mom... No one's _ever_ tried to murder me before."

The blonde smiles wanly, and dark eyes narrow irritably as the Mayor sighs

"I wish you wouldn't bring that up... And is no laughing matter, Miss Swan."

"I know. If you take out the dig at you, I was pretty serious. A part of me keeps trying to convince myself 'it's a bunch of kids, this will be easy. We've fought fucking dragons!' But then... I mean look at where we are _now_. This is messed up, and the whole thing's been orchestrated by a _child_! I'm... I'm kind of nervous."

Emma admits reluctantly, and Regina nods as she agrees

"Me too. There's something about Pan that just doesn't sit right with me, and I don't just mean his psychotic disposition. What he planned with Hook... A child doesn't _think_ that way. Maybe things went a different way than he'd intended, but everything _about_ this puts me on edge. I suppose at least we have each other."

"... Yeah."

The younger woman nods after a beat of silence in which she regards the brunette thoughtfully.

"There is that."

She smiles finally, before flinching at the sound of footsteps echoing through the cave.

"It's us!"

A young voice heralds, and she exchanges a relieved glance with Regina as they each check themselves for any signs of what they have been up to before greeting the boys.

"Sorry we were so long."

Matty apologises as he leads his small army through.

"That's okay."

"Not a problem."

Both women answer at once, and the boy looks from one to the other curiously, before breaking out into a grin and hoisting a bag from his back.

"We got you guys something."


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Struggled a but with this one, but hopefully it reads ok :) More to come very soon!

"We got you guys something."

Matty smiles as he opens up the bag on the bed and pulls out a couple of blankets. Finally, he pulls out a metal lunchbox and hands it over to Emma gingerly.

"Careful with that."

He advises, and the blonde frowns as she thumbs away the metal clips on the sides and opens it up.

"Leaves?"

She asks curiously, lifting out one of the palm-sized balls inside that appears to be nothing but a compacted collection of foliage.

"Careful!"

The tall boy behind Matty warns, and Emma glances at him irritability but loosens her grip so that the ball merely rests delicately in her hand.

"What are they?"

Regina asks as she touches one of the three remaining balls in the box, and Matty grins- his tongue visible through the gap in his teeth- and takes the curious item from Emma as though dealing with the finest china.

"They're a backup plan, we've been working on them for years. Think kind of like a smoke bomb, but instead of smoke, they have darkness stored inside of them."

"How is that even possible?"

The blonde frowns dubiously, and Matty shrugs as he states patiently

"With magic."

Emma glances over at Regina as though for confirmation, and the brunette shakes her head as she asks cautiously

"I was unaware anybody here _had_ magic. I thought it was the island?"

"We don't", the tall teen explains, "but some of the mermaids do."

"Oh, sure. The mermaids."

The blonde mutters under her breath, and Regina nudges her gently with her elbow before asking

"Why would _they_ give you these? Mermaids aren't known for sharing their magic, nor their kindness."

"If you say you got them from Ariel, I'm not sure I can deal with it."

Emma chips in, and the lanky teen studies her curiously before asking with open surprise

"Why? Do you not like her?"

"Oh god."

The blonde sighs, and Regina offers her a bemused smirk before pressing on with the matter at hand.

"I know who she is, and I believe you when you say that she'd help you. How do these work, though, and what use are they to us?"

"We've been saving these for the last couple of _years_... Of _course_ they'll be useful."

One of the smaller boys replies with an expression of hurt, and Emma sighs as she takes the ball back from Matty and studies it with a new degree of fascination.

"Ok, well thanks then, I guess. But we still need to know what they _do_."

She points out, and Matty nods as he watches the blonde turn the ball over in her hands; this time with visible care and respect for what she and her friend have been given.

"They'll give you time. Time to escape, time to run, or simply time to hide. The cave here only works on the Shadow because the Shadow is threatened by simple darkness. The Lost Boys can come in if they want though, because they can bring torches or matches if they prepare for the journey, just like we have now. If you throw one of these though, you'll break the eggs inside-"

"-Eggs?"

Emma frowns, and this time when she looks over at Regina, the brunette looks just as confused as she does.

"Eggs." Matty agrees, "eggs from a creature that lives so deep beneath the surface, it has never seen the sun. It swims in darkness, and eats whatever eventually sinks down to the bottom of the ocean."

"Oh, I've seen things like that. They kind of twist rather than bite when they eat, kind of like eels but bigger."

The blonde says with a wrinkle of her nose but assuming she's right. She'd actually really liked the Blue Planet when it had come out. She'd been in training at the time, and suffering the rookie's curse of other people's paperwork, and in the apartment she'd been sharing with a mature exchange student over from Prague, she'd made good use of his insistence to pay for any available TV service the great US of A had to offer. Filip had mainly used his subscriptions of watch sports and comedy, but she'd switched over to one of the channels pumping out nature shows when in the flat by herself. She doesn't imagine that she remembers even a third of what she'd learned from those shows, but they had been interesting and attractive to watch. Now, stuck on this hellish island, she could quite happily give nature a miss for a while.

"No one _knows_ what they look like."

Matty shakes his head, and Emma frowns as she points out

"But you said the mermaids-"

"-They collect the eggs, the ones that will never hatch. _Some_ of the eggs must survive or they would die out, but most of them float slowly up towards the surface, filled with nothing but the darkness of the deep. They usually break open before they get anywhere close; only mermaids can dive deep enough to collect them before they do. Then they enchant them, to protect them from the sun. Once the shell cracks, darkness seeps out; slowly in the water, but like smoke out here in the air. It doesn't last long- probably two minutes at most- but it's thick and blinding. The eggs are rare, the creature- they call it a Illiard- only spawns every ten years, and only for three days when it does. These are precious, and something that Pan doesn't know about... We want you to have them."

"Are you sure...?"

The blonde asks uncertainly, and Regina hesitates as she is torn between her own best interests and sharing the younger woman's awe at the gesture.

"Perhaps you should keep just _one_ for yourselves?"

She asks begrudgingly, and she swallows as Emma throws her a complicated look that has her stomach knotting pleasantly.

"We're counting on you two to get your son back and to defeat Pan. If you do that, we won't _need_ things like this anymore."

Matty explains earnestly, and the brunette nods her understanding as she watches Emma carefully place the ball back in the case with the others. Smiling thinly when the blonde clips the lid down shut, she clears her throat and addresses the boys.

"Then we'll have to make sure that we succeed."

"We think you will."

The teen smiles, and the women look at each other as each takes in a breath of resolve, and share a small nod as they get ready to venture out into the unknown of the island.

"Let's hope so. We'll do our best."

Emma promises, taking her sword and sheathing it between her shoulder blades as Regina slides the metal box back into the bag. She looks up at Matty and asks

"Can we take this? We left most of what we brought with us back at our camp."

"Take it, and take two of the blankets."

He agrees.

"It's ok, we'll just take one."

Emma states, and the boys glance at her strangely while Regina strives to keep from allowing _any_ expression to come to the surface. The blonde shrugs impatiently as she points out (more to Regina than the others)

"There's not enough to go around as it is between you lot. We'll take one, and you should all be able to make it work."

A hint of a knowing smirk from the brunette, as Matty nods in naive understanding and smiles.

"At least take some of the candles."

Regina accepts this offer and loads several into the bag, before shoving in the blonde's sweater which had remained strewn on the empty cot closest to the cave's opening. She imagines Emma might want it shortly as the day had seemed miserable before they'd been dragged back into the darkness, but she's content to appreciate the view for now.

"Anything else we should know? Any tricks to getting into the camp?"

The blonde asks as she moves to stand beside Regina at the mouth of the cave.

"Just be careful. Pan will have lookouts stationed on some of the rocks, so stick close to the base and don't wander out too far. If you do that, the trees should cover you. Henry will probably be towards the top of the treehouse... It's not going to be easy."

Matty sighs, and the women nod with matching looks of strained duty before raising a hand and bidding the boys farewell.

"Well, we better get going."

"Thanks for everything."

"Good luck, both of you. We hope you find your son."

The rest of the boys nod in agreement, and Regina turns for the narrow chasm back out into the open with Emma on her heels. Finally, they stand in the large mouth of the cave, looking out at the bleak horizon where rain falls lightly and the forest beckons.

"Are you ready, dear?"

"No, but let's do this."


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This one came about very quickly! I hope that means it's as easy to read as it was to write! :)

"How are you doing?"

Regina asks as she walks behind the blond, watching the latter slash away several thick vines hanging in their path. She had started off walking beside the younger woman after they'd left the cave, but before too long, the path at the base of the rocks that the boys had suggested they take had become too narrow to continue on this way. She'd been unsurprised when Emma's initial move had been to stand aside to allow her to take the lead; by now used to the way the blonde will only take charge when she feels she might be best positioned to do so. When they'd arrived on the island, it had irked her something rotten that Emma had proceeded to assume the lead of their little pack of misfits, but now that she is willing to offer the act a kinder light, she imagines it's actually a pretty commendable trait to know when to speak and when to follow.

_Mostly. Not always. If you push her, she'll jump, no matter what..._

A smirk where once she might have rolled her eyes, and she continues on behind the Sheriff as the latter lowers her sword and stalks onwards. They have walked this way for the last twenty minutes, after her initial lead offered by the younger woman had become increasingly larger, and when the path had opened up once again a little while back, she had surreptitiously allowed Emma to move in front of her in order to allow the blonde to set the pace.

"Emma?"

She prompts, unsure if the younger woman is ignoring her or simply hadn't heard.

"I swear, Regina, if you ask me again..."

The blonde warns irritably, and the Mayor grins as she is thrown a caustic glower that she knows by now not to take to heart.

"Alright, alright!"

She apologises with a sigh, placing her hand on the small of the blonde's back and pushing her forwards pointedly. She supposes that things _do_ actually seem to be looking up in terms of the younger woman's health, as they are moving along at a perfectly respectable pace.

_I'm just used to struggling to keep up with her when she goes storming off places..._

"Do you hear that?"

Emma interrupts her thoughts as she comes to a stop in front of the brunette, and Regina halts behind her and listens.

"I hear _something_..."

She agrees with a frown, before shaking her head with a sigh of frustration when the younger woman simply decides to carry on towards whatever it is they've heard.

"Emma!"

"I think it's water."

The Sheriff throws back over her shoulder, and the darker woman mutters that she _hopes_ that that's all it is as she follows closely behind; wondering if she should insist they take care, or whether to indulge the blonde's occasionally reckless behaviour. After all, she has learnt over the last year or so that however _unfair_ it might be, Emma tends to get fairly lucky when the odds aren't in her favour.

_Recent events not supporting that theory._

No, and she almost opens her mouth to say so, but then the blonde slips behind a veil of greenery and leaves her little choice but to follow.

"Miss Swan!"

She scolds irritably as she wrinkles her nose in distaste; wanting to wipe her hand sticky with dew onto something that isn't a part of her outfit.

"Pretty cool."

Emma replies, and she stands aside so that the Mayor can share her current view.

"It's impressive."

Regina agrees, looking down at where their current path cuts off a little in front of their feet to form a sheer side to a deep gorge where water cascades down to their right.

"But also problematic."

She sighs, pointing to where their route appears to continue lower down on the other side of the crevasse.

"Can't we just kind of jump down there?"

" _Jump_?!"

"Well, not _actually_! Magically!"

" _I_ can..."

The brunette replies hesitantly, turning to the blonde and asking seriously

"Do you think _you_ can do it? This doesn't really seem the time to experiment, and I'd suggest when that time _does_ come around, you try it down a couple of stairs, rather than across a gorge."

"I don't know... I thought you might be able to help me a little?"

"I'd need to do more than _help_ you a little. It's not like I can meet you halfway, here! I'd need to take you with me."

"... Okay?"

"It's not so simple."

Regina sighs, regarding the blonde pensively.

"It's one thing bringing my clothes and everything with me, it's something else _entirely_ having to take another person. Ordinarily it would be fine; you're hardly large, and the gap isn't too wide."

"Gee, _thanks_. But how come-"

"-I'm tired."

The brunette snaps irritably, before continuing with a little more patience

"We've not been eating, we've barely been sleeping, my nerves are a mess, and you're hurt."

"I'm fine."

Emma replies automatically, and dark eyes roll as the Mayor elaborates

"Magic doesn't depend on how _stubborn_ you are, it depends on the _truth_. You have your _own_ magic, which automatically makes it more complicated for me to take you with me. Add to that the fact that you're weakened, and it just means there's a lot more that could go _wrong_. It will most likely be fine, but I'd really rather not send you hurtling to your death to find out."

"Yeah, that would just be _another_ thing my parents might potentially bother you about."

The blonde agrees sarcastically, and she ignores the darker woman's poisonous glower in favour of lowering herself carefully against one of the rocks. Looking up, she beckons that Regina should do the same and is met by a confused frown.

"You're right-" She sighs, "-We need to eat. We need to eat and we need to be sensible about knowing when to rest. This is just going to be _suicide_ otherwise."

"I kept _asking_ you if you wanted a rest!"

"No. You kept _asking_ me if I was _okay_ , and I am. Yes, my side hurts a little, but it's not anything I can't cope with, nor something I need you to keep _pestering_ me about. You're concerned, I get it, but I don't do well with that kind of thing, and you've already done everything you _can_ do to help so I wish you'd just leave it be. It's _you_ that's said that they feel too weak to do something, and ok that 'something' is a pretty big ask, but then it's _you_ that we should be worrying about right now! You probably got less rest than I did, _and_ you've been using your magic. We need to get across that gorge somehow, so let's start by taking a minute to sit and regroup and eat something. Matty put rations in the front pocket of the bag, take it off and sit down... Hopefully we can figure this out, but if not, there will be _another_ way around. We might just have to get excited about the prospect of a bit of rock climbing."

"Ugh."

Regina offers as she takes a seat beside the blonde; still not liking the fact that she does so in the dirt, but supposing it's too late to be precious about her wardrobe. Emma chuckles at her response, and the brunette shakes her head as she opens the front flap of the bag and pulls out a bag of misshaped rolls.

"Oh _good_ , more bread."

The blonde sighs, but she doesn't ask whether or not the rolls might be substituted for anything else. She maintains hope that they're not going to have to find a way around the gorge which will add at _least_ another day to their journey, and so has no plan to tire the brunette out any further. She considers offering to give bettering their dismal choice a try herself, but Regina had been right- she does feel a little weak- and she has no interest in whatever snide remark the Mayor might make should she put the idea forward.

"When I get home, I'm cooking a three course dinner with a cheese board to finish."

Regina confides as she scowls down at the bread in her hand, and Emma nods as she chews.

"Cool. Can I come?"

Dark eyes flicker up at her at this, and the blonde holds her gaze challengingly as she swallows.

"Maybe."

The brunette answers finally, continuing to study the younger woman thoughtfully.

"What are you gonna cook?"

Emma grins, and she shakes her head when the Mayor rolls her eyes.

"Come on, it's a game. What are you going to cook?"

"A _game_?"

"Yeah. I used to play it sometimes back before. When I was younger. You imagine you're not eating bread or crackers or whatever and you think about what it is you _could_ be eating instead; really try to _imagine_ it."

"That's not going to work."

"So, humor me anyway?"

The blonde pushes, and Regina sighs before looking thoughtfully down at the crust in her hand and musing pensively

"A small niçoise salad to start, followed by lasagne- venison, not beef- and homemade Black Forest gateau to finish off."

"Alright, not bad."

Emma nods consideringly, and the brunette takes a bite of her bread before asking loftily

"You can do better?"

"Sure: Mozzarella dippers- honey glaze, not marinara- to start, pepperoni and mushroom pizza for main, and a toffee popcorn sundae to finish."

"... I'll stick with my first choice dear, only Henry might prefer it if _one_ of us _didn't_ die of a coronary arrest."

" _Henry_ would totally side with me on this one!"

"True... That is true."

Regina sighs, before adding dramatically

"Neither one of you has any taste."

Emma grins at her teasingly as she brushes her hands free of crumbs. Peering into the bag again hopefully, she pulls out a couple of apples wrapped in a large green handkerchief.

"I was _definitely_ hoping for something more interesting."

She admits, handing one over to the brunette who takes it from her with a wicked smile.

"Your diet always _has_ been horrendous."

"It's not so bad. You mostly see what I order at the Diner. At home, Mary Margaret usually cooks and I'm sure you'd approve. Lots of fish, lots of vegetables."

"I can't help but note that you're wrinkling your nose..."

"I am not."

"You _are_. You're pulling an Emma face."

"An Emma face?"

The younger woman asks curiously, a small grin touching the side of her mouth as she studies the Mayor intently

"There you go, that's another one."

Regina informs her, and the blonde raises a brow as she looks back down at the half eaten apple in her hand.

"You know, in the book, these would turn into whatever we wanted them to be if we were kids."

"It's a shame that it seems to be a _physical_ requirement in reality. Had it merely been a mental one, _you'd_ have yourself a feast."

The brunette sniffs, and green eyes roll as the blonde lets out a long suffering sigh. Playing with the handkerchief distractedly after tossing her core over the lip of the gorge, she watches the Mayor finish her own apple before asking more seriously

"Do you feel any better?"

"Actually, yes. I hadn't realised how _hungry_ I was, and while that was hardly a feast, it's helped."

"Good."

Emma smiles, and Regina looks away for a second as that smile is unnervingly genuine. Fortunately, she isn't left to feel overwhelmed all too long as she looks back up to watch the younger woman roll up the handkerchief and tie it up around her head.

"You look ridiculous."

She points out, and the Sheriff grins as she looks from her sword to the rather worse for wear state of her clothes and boots.

"You ever seen Rambo?"

"No."

The brunette shakes her head, watching as the blonde pushes herself up and walks over to the lip of the gorge. A second later, she's up on her feet as well, as Emma begins to move around to make her way down.

"Hey! What are you doing?! Are you _crazy_!?"

She cries, hurrying over, and the younger woman looks up at her as she holds onto the rocks with her feet firmly planted apart on the sloped side.

"I'm not trying to make my way _across_ or anything, I'm just trying to get over there."

She points to a small outcrop of rock a couple of meters to her right which juts out before the fall gets steep.

" _Why_?"

"Because, the water is splashing up there, and I'm filthy."

Emma reasons as though speaking to a child, and the brunette narrows her eyes before sighing deeply and following suit.

"Why is it that I'm always so much more likely to come to _harm_ when I'm around you, Miss Swan?"

She mutters irritably; panicking for a moment as she slips a little, but the blonde catches her hand swiftly and holds her steady.

"Just be careful and you'll be fine."

Emma shrugs distractedly, and the Mayor hesitates for a moment as she watches the younger woman strip off her top and hold it under the spray of water while wringing it out. She wonders just how true those words might be, and swallows.

"Stop staring."

The blonde scolds without looking around, before moving carefully closer to the cascading fall and splashing water over herself with care to keep from touching the wound to her side. When she does finally look around, she's grinning, and the brunette sniffs primly as she eases her way over so that she stands beside her. Collecting cool water in her palms and washing her face, she shivers as the freshness feels wonderful on her skin. Looking back at Emma, she sighs as she catches the blonde watching her expectantly, and she pointedly washes her hands beneath the spray before stepping back.

"I am not stripping off while balancing precariously at the edge of a _waterfall_."

She informs bluntly, and the younger woman shakes her head dramatically before pulling her top back over her head. It clings to her wetly, but she seems not to mind as she makes her way cautiously back up to the ledge, and Regina privately surmises that _she_ doesn't much mind either.

"So. Do you want to try this?"

She asks, climbing carefully back up to stand beside the Sheriff.

"Do you think you can do it?"

Emma replies, her face open and trusting.

"I think so... I'm just concerned that I might not be of much use for a little while once we're on the other side."

"Well, then we rest, and _I_ take a turn looking out for us."

The blonde shrugs, picking up her sword and slinging it back behind her to sit between her shoulders.

"You might have to."

Regina replies seriously, and the younger woman holds her gaze as she nods her understanding.

"Well then. Okay... Let's do it."

The brunette proposes through clenched teeth; picking up the bag lent to them by Matty and his boys and pulling it over her shoulder.

"Okay."

Emma nods, before asking half jokingly

"Do you _really_ need to make a conscious effort to make sure we remain wearing our clothes?"

"Every minute detail is a factor, dear."

The brunette smiles thinly, and the younger woman seems torn between making a further comment about this, before she simply accepts the hand that Regina holds out to her and smiles warily

"Let's go... Good Luck."


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: More SQ soon, but needed to move the story along too :) Comments would be lovely!

Staggering down to her knees, the blonde clenches her teeth as her hand goes to her side, and she remains hunched over that way for a moment until she trusts their recent meagre feast to stay down. Taking in a few deep breaths, she pushes herself back up and looks around curiously.

"Regina?"

Turning around, she spies the darker woman lying on her side close to the edge of the gorge with her knees drawn up into her chest.

"Hey!"

Emma calls, hurrying over and crouching down to shake the brunette gently.

"Regina? Are you okay?"

She asks nervously, fretting when she receives no response. Brushing dark hair out of the Mayor's face, she studies heavy lashes with her lip caught anxiously between her teeth.

"Come on, _please_ let me know you're alright..."

She pleads, and the brunette's brow furrows as she groans quietly.

"Okay. Alright. Come on."

Emma mutters distractedly to herself, slipping her hands beneath the darker woman's arms and pulling her away from the gorge's edge and over to a bank of rocks a couple of metres away. By the time she's rested the Mayor against the stone so that she's partially reclined, she's breathing heavily, and she falls down next to her with a strained cough.

" _Must_ you be so dramatic? It's a little offensive."

Regina murmurs irritably, her eyes still closed but her lips pursed in a perturbed line.

"You're alright!"

The blonde exclaims with shaky relief, before chuckling ruefully and closing her own eyes as she pants lightly

"Sorry. I've been in better shape."

She rests her hand lightly over her side as she reaches out with the other and pats the brunette's thigh amiably.

"You'll do."

Regina muses silkily, and the blonde blushes as she mutters awkwardly

"I meant things would just be _easier_ without a hole in my hip."

A small smirk at this, before the darker woman pushes herself up into a seated position with a small moan. Emma follows suit, regarding her worriedly.

"Seriously, _are_ you okay?"

"Yes. It just feels as though I've been thrown against a wall."

Regina laments, rubbing her temples, and she looks up to see warring emotions of concern and insinuation battling it out across the blonde's face and rolls her eyes.

"Not in any _fun_ sense."

She points out, and Emma smiles apologetically as she continues to study fine features raptly.

"Sorry."

She offers quietly, and the brunette shakes her head as she smirks back and teases

"That's several times in one _week_ now you've expressed your concern for me, Miss Swan. One might think you actually _care_."

"Of _course_ I care! I just don't always say so _outloud_."

Emma replies waspishly, and the Mayor's grin becomes a little kinder as she admits honestly

"I suppose I _should_ know that by now... I'm just not used to being faced with that reality."

"... It's weird. It takes time."

The blonde nods as she considers the darker woman's words, and Regina sighs as she supposes she's stuck with the _one_ person who might best understand the strange newness of realising that they actually matter to another.

"Well, I'm fine... I just wasn't expecting it."

"Expecting what?"

"You. Your power. I had no idea."

Regina contemplates pensively, and Emma frowns as she shakes her head

"How do you mean? You _knew_ I had magic."

"Yes. I knew you had a _little_ , although I still don't quite understand _why_. You've used it occasionally to varying affect, but I would be lying if I said I've been overly _impressed_."

"So we're just going to _ignore_ the whole helping you with the diamond thing?"

"Ignore it? No. But the majority of the work had already been done by myself. My _curiosity_ was sparked when you were able to help me, but I wasn't necessarily _impressed_."

"I'll forgo miming shock and _surprise_ at that sentiment."

The blonde huffs, and Regina smiles as she admits casually

"You've impressed me in _other_ ways, dear, just not with your magic."

"... Oh."

"Until now."

Regina finishes, furrowing her brow as she assesses the younger woman thoughtfully.

"You're powerful, Saviour. Trying to take you with me was like trying to harness a ball of light; you were trying to push me out."

"I didn't mean to."

The blonde pulls a face, and the Mayor nods and replies gently

"I know that. It's not something you can control anyway, I just wasn't expecting it."

"Yes, well, you do excell so _brilliantly_ at underestimating me."

Emma points out, but there is a detectable note of humor in her tone, and Regina smirks back wickedly as she agrees

"Well, I can't help what the _other_ ninety-nine percent of the time has taught me.

"Bite me. I was trying to be _nice_ to you just now."

The younger woman grumbles, and the Mayor flashes sharp teeth and a flicker of her tongue and relishes the sudden drop of green eyes. Pulling her jacket back into place and neatening her hair, she studies the blonde's current comic-book adventurer ensemble and delicate blush. Speaking up in a gentler tone she confides seriously

"I know... _Thank you_ for being kind to me. I know it's simply a genetic _default_ when it comes to you Charmings, but I appreciate it nonetheless."

"It's not like I don't _owe_ you."

Emma shrugs, before scoffing lightly

"And I'm not a 'Charming', I'm a Swan, and I can be a complete _dick_ if I feel like it... I'm nice to you because I _want_ to be. I'm nice to you because I _like_ you."

"I see... I suppose I will still never _entirely_ understand why you decided to start doing that."

Regina laments with a grin of rye bemusement, and the blonde shrugs as she leans back against the rocks and pulls the brunette down lightly to join her.

"Does it matter?"

"... No."

The Mayor sighs after a moment's thought, and she looks out over to where they've come from; the deep crevasse marring their path slicing through the land as though hacked out by a crazed god.

"I hate this place."

She professes quietly, and Emma nods as she casts her gaze up to the bleak sky.

"Yeah. The sooner we get out of here the better. It's as though nothing _good_ could ever grow or survive here."

"... _Something_ has."

Regina replies pensively, and the blonde turns to her curiously, before closing her eyes and wrapping her arm around slim shoulders when the darker woman leans over to kiss her gently.

* * *

Walking down the dirt path leading to the entrance of Pan's camp, Tinkerbell strives to keep her nerves in check. She has made good time due to not being hindered by needing to stay unseen, but she wonders where the other two women are now; sneaking through the dangers of this merciless jungle.

"Halt!"

A high voice warns her bossily, and she looks around for its source before she spots a small boy of around eleven sat perched on one of the jagged rocks that tower around the treehouse.

"It's just me, Charlie."

She assures, raising a hand to him and stepping closer so that he can identify her. He grabs a crudely fashioned torch from beside him and leans down to study her, before sitting back and placing it behind him; apparently satisfied.

"What do you want, Tink?"

He asks, and she swallows as she stares back up at him uncomfortably. Ordinarily, she finds herself unfazed by the slightly barbaric ways of Pan's boys, as they have yet to threaten her with any harm save for Pan himself, and on both those occasions they had reached an agreement with relative ease.

"I came to see Felix."

She lies, forcing a smile. She stands by what she had told Regina- that the Queen's safety and that of her companion are of little importance to her when compared to her own- and the knowledge of her hidden motives to help the others has her sweating nervously. Charlie studies her with silver eyes, and his face- normally freckled and pale- has been coated with a thick, black paint to help him blend in to the darkness of the rocks. It also serves to make him look strikingly ominous, but she takes care not to let it show. Instead she teases dryly

"You've got a little something on you, Charlie."

"That's not funny."

He informs her irritably, before climbing down from his perch so that he crouches above her.

"Pan's making us wear it; all of us that are on guard."

"Yeah?"

She raises a brow, as this is certainly a new practice.

"He doesn't want the spies to see us."

"The spies?"

She furrows her brow; unsure what he might mean.

"Yeah, there's two of them. Adults. There are more further into the island, but there are two that we need to look out for. A blonde lady and a brown one. They want to take the magic from this place and make us all live in an orphanage. They're especially after Henry- the new boy- and they mean to hurt us for taking him from them. They're pretending that he's their son, but they're lying. They're spies looking for magic, and they've got more weapons than you could count."

"... Huh?"

Tink asks, and she finds herself struggling not to laugh at this preposterous tale, but Charlie shakes his head- entirely serious- as he informs gravely

"They're dangerous. We're to capture them on sight; Pan wants them dead, but he wants to talk to them first."

"You-"

"-We're allowed to hurt them, though... If we have to."

Charlie adds on as a hushed afterthought, and beneath his face paint, his complexion is ashen. He- like so many here- loves Pan, and will do whatever the boy leader asks, but he is also scared of the alternative. He believes what he has been told about the two witches threatening the island- he has no reason _not_ to- but the thought of hurting them- of hurting _girls_ \- isn't one he relishes. It had been fun at first, playing dress up and being given the task to protect the treehouse, but it is slowly dawning on him as he sits talking to Tinkerbell that he doesn't know quite what he would have _done_ should it have been the Evil Queen and her companion sneaking up to the camp.

"Well... Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

The fairy offers with a troubled frown. She wants to tell the kid not to be ridiculous, and to warn him off hurting the others. There are footsteps sounding down the path though, and as she looks to her right, three more boys approach, the one in the lead carrying a dagger.

"Tink?"

The one on the left heralds, and she turns with a thin smile as she greets them cautiously.

"Hello, Lyle. You be careful with that, Sean."

"I didn't come to this island so that _adults_ could tell me what to do."

The boy holding the dagger replies waspishly, and Tink narrows her eyes; never having liked the whiny little pain in the ass and seeing no signs of that changing. He is one of the older boys here, and had once played Pan's righthand man before losing the position to Felix. This demotion has had the unusual effect of only _increasing_ his loyalty to his leader, whilst bittering him intensely in the process.

"No, I know."

She replies sensibly; biting her tongue as she has learnt it is best to do around here. When dealing with Pan himself, she will occaisionally be a little more bold- the boy leader loving nothing more than a game of nerves and tongues- but with his followers, particularly those that swear by his name, she has been conditioned to act with care.

"What do you want?"

Sean asks, and Charlie speaks up from his post above them

"She's looking for Felix."

"Shut up, squirt, I didn't _ask_ you!"

Sean scolds with a jab of his dagger, and Charlie does as he's told as he shrinks back into the shadows.

"What do you want with Felix?"

Lyle asks suspiciously, and Tinkerbell holds his gaze intently until he lowers his eyes to the dirt.

"That's none of your business."

She points out cooly, and the boys consider this between themselves before taking a step back.

"Does Pan know you're here?"

Sean asks, and she shrugs casually

"Why would he? It's a free island. If I happen to see him, then he'll know."

"... It's _not_ a free island. Not really. Do you know what this is for?"

He gestures to the blade in his hand.

"Well, I was going to guess that you were all off to give each other haircuts, but the ominous tone suggests otherwise."

She sighs, feigning boredom, and dark eyes narrow as Sean seethes at her hatefully.

"We're getting set to kill a bunch of your lot. Nosy women that have no business sneaking around where they don't belong."

Lyle glances at him uncomfortably while Charlie peeks out from over the rock with his mouth drawn down at the corners. Tinkerbell merely stares at him. There are some boys here whose history she has come to find out, but there are plenty that she knows nothing about. She has never asked after Sean, but has heard enough to suspect that his mommy issues- something not uncommon amongst the boys here- are a little deeper rooted than most. It had been Sean who had spoken up as one of the loudest against Wendy living amongst them, and it had been Sean who had volunteered to kill the woman lured here with Henry before the job had been given to the Shadow.

"I've heard."

Is all that she says, and she takes a pointed step to the side to move around him.

"Good luck with that. Now let me by or I'll call on Pan myself. I'll have him know you're keeping me from passing along information to Felix... _That_ might get his attention given how he _outranks_ you..."

She smiles thinly, and she takes Sean's murderous glower as an invitation to move on unharmed.

Ducking beneath the skeletal bows that form the archway to Pan's camp, she lets out a sigh of trepidation; her adrenalin high as she begins working her way up towards the top floors where Matty had seemed sure that Henry resides.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the wait! I've been in a bit of a funk and writing hasn't been coming as easily as usual. I hope this chapter is ok, but not entirely sure on it. I wanted to get something up though, and hopefully it's just me being unsure :)

Stalking up irregular planks of wood, Tink holds her head up high and strives to remain inconspicuous. It is irregular for her to visit Pan's camp, but not unheard of. During her time here she has grown close to several of the younger boys on the island; never before having imagined she'd enjoy the company of children, but whilst here she has had no other option, as she occasionally grows weary of her own company. One of the boys she had gotten on especially well with is no longer here- is no longer _alive_ as she has so recently found out- but there had been a time when she would stop by to visit Baelfire and a couple of his friends.

_A shame..._

"Tinkerbell?"

A voice greets her from above, and she looks up to spy a young face peeking out at her from beneath the branches that act as banisters to one of the higher levels of the treehouse.

"Davey."

She smiles, increasing her pace until she meets him on the warped landing of the fifth storey. They look down simultaneously over the vast drop that acts as the centre of Pan's treehouse, and she feels a strange sensation of fate whispering in her ear, before she turns back to the young boy with a shiver.

"What are you doing here?"

Davey asks curiously; having missed the blonde as she has stopped visiting them for a while now. He is one of the newer boys here, and had been one of those swiftly disillusioned by Pan's promise of happiness on the island. Like almost all of the recruits brought over from that other land, he had suffered a complicated upbringing, but _unlike_ a lot of the others, his bond with his mother had been strong. An abusive, alcoholic stepfather had lent him the needy glow on which Pan's Shadow had fed, but his love for his mother had been gut-wrenching when stolen from her by the Boy King. For this reason, along with his young age, when he had first encountered the fairy- an elder female- he'd latched on to her and trusted her completely. At first, Tink had found this rather irksome, but over the past couple of years, she has softened to the boy a little and allowed him the luxury to seek comfort in her form and likeness to his mother.

"I'm looking for someone."

She confides; eyes darting around the place and hating the fact that she is all too aware that nothing in the camp is as it seems. She trusts Davey well enough to expose that she's looking for Henry, not Felix, and why she might be doing so, but the old boughs of the treehouse are gnarled and twisted and provide too many corners of darkness in which the Shadow might hide.

"Who is it?"

The boy asks curiously, and she dodges the question by asking one of her own.

"Do you know where the others are? Pan and Felix?"

"I saw them leave down the coast trail with some of the older boys. They're setting traps to catch some witches."

Davey grins, and Tinkerbell swallows as she studies the childish excitement glittering in his eyes. Lowering herself down onto one knee so that she's nose to nose with him, she whispers sternly

"They're not _witches_ , not the sort Pan's telling you all, anyway. One of them was a friend of mine a long time ago, the other is... She means no harm. They're Henry's mothers, Davey, they truly are. They don't deserve to get hurt just for trying to get their son back."

"But Pan said-"

"-Pan lied."

She hisses, glancing over her shoulder uncomfortably, before looking back into the creasing face of the young boy so close to her she can smell the the berries on his breath. Davey shakes his head unhappily, and laces an arm around the fairy's shoulders so that he can whisper into her ear.

"But... He's going to kill them."

He confides with a nervous hitch to his breath, and Tink shakes her head as she assures softly

"They're strong, and they know they need to be careful. I know some of the others believe they're coming to cause you all trouble, but you know you can trust me; you know I wouldn't lie to you, right? It's too dangerous for you to try and convince the others, but you have to promise me you won't try to do anything to harm those women, Davey. Just keep your head down, okay?"

"I promise. It's the older boys that are going to catch them, anyway. Pan's chosen two groups; Felix gets one and he gets the other. They want to split them up. We're to stay here until they've been caught and aren't dangerous anymore... Then we get to watch what happens. Until then, we're not to say anything to the new boy. He mustn't know. He has to remain happy."

Eyes widening as she pulls back, Tink studies pale features and worried eyes intently before asking quietly

"Henry doesn't know Pan's looking for his mothers?"

"Henry isn't allowed to know they're on the island."

Davey confides, confirming the others' fear, and Tinkerbell nods her understanding as she asks curiously

"Who's been left to watch over Henry, anyway?"

"Tobias."

The boy explains with a wrinkle of his nose. Tobias is an older boy in Pan's inner circle, and the fairy has heard him to be cruelly fond of spurring the younger boys into fighting with sticks. She remembers how some of the children had done the same back in the Enchanted Forest as a means of fun to pass the time, but here on the island without adult supervision or a stern word when things get out of hand, it is a practise used more often as way to settle the ever precarious question of hierarchy, rather than anything resembling a game.

"Just Tobias?"

"I think so."

Davey nods, and Tinkerbell smiles as she pushes herself back up. She sees no use in asking after the Shadow, as the beast's whereabouts are never known by any but Peter himself. She would guess that Pan has sent the Shadow out to search for the others; either Regina and Emma or the small group of boys that have disbanded themselves from the camp. If she's right, she might just be able to reach Henry safely, and so she points to the levels above them and asks

"Where are they? Henry and Tobias?"

"They've been staying up at the top, in the games room."

"Okay, thanks. Wait here, ok?"

The fairy smiles, and Davey nods as he watches her turn to make her way further up the stairs. A gust of wind sweeps through the old tree's boughs, and his hair flickers around his face as the wood creaks as though warning them of things to come.

* * *

Opening the door to the games room, Tink takes a step back as Tobias pulls out a crudely fashioned spear. Raising her hands placatingly, she looks from the slightly overweight surly teen to the boy sat regarding her with open curiosity next to a dartboard carved into the wall.

"Tink."

Tobias greets gruffly, and she forces a smile and pads into the room with her hands slipped into her pockets; the shard of obsidian containing the women's secrets clutched in her fist.

"Tinkerbell?"

Henry asks with surprise alighting his face, and she shoots him a guarded expresision as it still seems odd to her that strangers know who she is. The young brunet ignores her wariness and offers her a bright smile, and she assesses that apart from being a little on the dirty side, the kid looks healthy and unharmed.

"Yes."

She nods, along with Tobias, who places down his spear but remains openly hostile.

"What are you doing here? Who said you could come up here?"

"No one... But, no one said _not_ to come up here either."

She explains while frowning in a parody of confusion, and she crosses over to stand beside Henry under the cover of inspecting the handmade darts that pepper the bark behind him.

"Well, I'm telling you now... Pan's out trying to find something, and until he comes back, we're on high alert."

"Oh, right, yeah, Sean said."

"Sean said _what_?"

"That you were looking for those two women. That-"

"-Hush! How do you?-"

"-Which women?"

Henry interrupts immediately, and Tink opens her mouth before closing it again swiftly as Tobias grabs his spear and brandishes it at her in a bid for her silence. Miming fear, she stumbles backwards, and falls purposefully onto her knees in a show of avoiding the spear's point.

"Ouch."

"Hey!"

Henry scolds angrily as he glares at his new friend, before pushing himself up and leaning over the fallen blonde.

"Are you alright?"

He asks worriedly, extending a hand to help her back onto her feet. She takes it gratefully, although there is another expression that glitters behind the small smile she offers him, and he recognises it easily as he has seen it on the face of each of his mothers. It is a shadowed look of warning- of secrets- and as his small hand closes over Tinkerbell's, he feels something cold and hard press into his palm.

"You need to leave."

Tobias interrupts irritably, and Tink nods as she pulls away- eyes locked with Henry's for just a moment longer- before she stands back and mutters angrily

"Calm down. I was only looking for Felix, what the hell is your _problem_? I knew Pan was out searching for the adults that have come to the island, but-"

"-Leave!"

The boy yells at her, and when Henry opens his mouth to ask questions, a meaty hand comes to rest on his forearm.

"Stay here! Shut up!"

"But-"

"-Boys!"

Tobias yells, and Tink steps back as the sound of footsteps crescendos down the hall. A moment later, two of Pan's larger followers step into the room and reach for her, and she pulls away irritably and barks at them

"Get away. I can leave of my own accord. I don't know what your problem is, but I want nothing to do with it."

She wants to say something else- to play into her oblivious role and call the women she's mentioned by name- but she knows that to do so, even under the guise of knowing no better, is a fool's errand. Instead, she moves towards the door with a glower at the brutes stood on either side, before turning to Tobias and warning silkily

"You should be careful; waving that spear around. Someone might get hurt. Who knows what bloodshed might reveal."

"What?"

The boy frowns, and she shakes her head with a sigh that suggests she thinks him an idiot, before catching Henry's eye and trapping him momentarily with her gaze. She watches him slip his hand surreptitiously into his pocket- his young brow furrowed in confusion- and then turns for the door; leaving before she can be made to do so.

* * *

Pulling back as a pale hand presses gently against her shoulder, Regina looks down into sharp features as she catches her breath.

"What is it?"

She asks softly; their kiss still hot on her lips.

"We should probably get going..."

Emma replies apologetically, and any irritation the brunette feels is soothed by her amusement at the definite flicker of regret in the younger woman's eyes.

"I suppose you're right."

Regina nods, pushing herself to her feet with a small breath of exertion as the last of the dizziness caused by her use of magic to bring the two of them accross the gorge finally dissipates. She still feels a little weak, but she imagines that this too will subside in a little while. Looking down at Emma who remains reclined against the rocks, she holds out her hand amiably and pulls the blonde to her feet.

"It's just intoxicating when you discover a good thing."

She muses quietly, and pale cheeks flare with a pink blush, but the Sheriff's voice is dry and even when she speaks.

"I agree... I guess it's kind of just how things go by now that we're dealt a shitty situation to take away from something pleasant happening to either of us.

She laughs wearily without much humour, and dark eyes glitter as Regina offers a tight smile

"Well, up until now you and I have worked mostly _against_ each other, or at least on opposite ends of the board... Perhaps things will change in our favour once we're done here. I have a feeling things will go a lot more smoothly now we're together."

"... Together?"

"On the same side."

Regina explains hastily, but she matches Emma's tentative stare with her own and swallows as the blonde wets her lips shyly.

"Right."

The Sheriff breathes finally, lowering her gaze, and the brunette nips at her own lip, before cutting through the- not wholly unpleasant- tension.

"Come on, we should get moving... Quit stalling."

She fusses bossily, and Emma's eyes flash angrily before she snorts with laughter and falls into step beside the Mayor.

" _I'm_ not the one that needed a little rest..."

She taunts- pleased to brush off some of the weight of their shared moment- and Regina sighs as she presses a finger gently to the wound lining the younger woman's cheek in silent retribution.

"Hypocrite."

"That's-"

"-Hush... Did you hear that?"


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry this took a while! Hope you enjoy, and reviews would be lovely :)

_"Hush... Did you hear that?"_

Regina holds out her hand to stop the blonde in her tracks and they each pull in closer to the rocks as they catch the definite sound of voices muttering in a low, conspiring tone. The owners of those hushed whispers seem to be getting closer, and the Sheriff cranes her neck as they appear to be travelling above them; stalking the crest of the cliff. Exchanging a nervous glance with the brunette, she swallows, and any amusement the Mayor might have found in the fact the younger woman still has the handkerchief that had held the apples tied around her head as she hunkers down low is lost in the shadow of her fear. She recalls the two of them discussing how their antagonists were 'just kids', but she knows brave words had simply been a front for each of them, as so far their time on the island has taught them that age means nothing when it comes to danger.

Finally, after what seems like forever, the voices fade as the boys up above move on with one of them muttering "sorry, Felix" before emitting a pained yelp.

"That was close."

Emma hisses, and the brunette nods, looking over to where they'd been lying just moments ago with a sense of dread.

"Do you think they're looking for us, or Matty?"

"I think us."

Regina muses uncomfortably. It had been hard to pick up on what the boys had been saying, but she'd heard the word either 'bitch' or 'witch' and the general tone of the comments had been one of malice and harm.

"Do you think Tink got to the camp okay?"

The blonde asks uncertainly and Regina pulls a face as she admits that she doesn't know. It is not lost on her how unlike their usual conspiring this little back and forth is; normally at least _one_ of them will have a stubborn word or opinion on how they might succeed in whatever needs doing. It occurs to her that a part of that might once have been a need to beat the other, and it feels strange yet comforting to her to actually _confide_ in someone for once that isn't Henry or her reflection.

"Shall we head on?"

Emma interrupts her thoughts, and she nods as she allows the younger woman to take the lead once again. The blonde moves slowly, but Regina doubts this has anything to do with pain in her side; the Sheriff creeping stealthily onwards with her eyes flickering repeatedly to the rocks above them. She does so in a way that strikes the brunette as well-practiced, and the Mayor muses on the titbits of information she's gathered over the last year of Emma's life before coming to town. As if on cue, the blonde casts a glance over her shoulder and murmurs unhappily

"I don't like the tables being turned like this; usually _I_ do the hunting."

"You must have had to hide, too."

"Yeah, that's true. Though I still generally had the upper hand... I did the stalking. It's not fun being stalked."

She confides seriously, and Regina nods her agreement as she keeps close and follows the younger woman off of the path and down onto a sheltered outcrop of rock that runs beneath. There's a sharp drop below them as the landscape becomes treacherous- the cliff studded and pitted with deep gouges and sheer slices that whisper of darkness- and the brunette strives to keep her breathing steady as she watches several loose stones disappear into the void an inch or so from her feet as she hugs the cliff wall as best as she can; mimicking Emma.

"It's funny. I never realised I was afraid of heights before."

She laughs without much humour, and the younger woman looks back at her with a tight smile before training her attention back on the ever narrowing ledge.

"You're not. You can save yourself if need be, right? You're just afraid of falling off a _cliff_ , which I'd say is a pretty sensible fear."

The Sheriff advises through gritted teeth, and the brunette swallows as she keeps the fact that she isn't too sure she'd have the _wits_ right now to be certain she'd come off unharmed should she lose her footing to herself.

"I'd rather not put that to the test."

Is all she says, and the younger woman nods as she apologises softly for taking them away from the safety of the path.

"I didn't think it would be this steep. I just figured anywhere out of sight was the best option... I can see where the ledge goes back up to join the path a little way ahead, it's not far."

Regina thins her lips and hopes that Emma is right as she follows behind. She resists the urge to reach out and clutch onto the younger woman as she'd like to in order to keep her balance; the blonde moving cautiously, but seeming much steadier on her feet as she appears to have been spared the crippling grip of fear for her mortality.

"Thirty feet or so, if that."

The Sheriff assures, and the Mayor nods before gasping as loose shingles slip out from beneath her foot, and she finds herself grabbing onto the blonde after all.

"You okay?"

Emma asks, and the brunette sighs as she resents how unexpected her terror is; wanting to shake it away and deem it as unimportant as she imagines she will find it when no longer skirting death. She supposes the younger woman might be finding this all rather amusing- their fear previously shared about Pan's Lost Boys a far greater threat than their current predicament- but when the Sheriff speaks, she does so amiably, and without any note of teasing.

"Listen, I'm going to stop, okay?"

"It's fine, keep going, I'm fine."

Regina counters with her jaw clenched, but the younger woman stops anyway and glances back at her with a brief smile.

"Of _course_ you're fine, I'll make sure of it."

"Miss Swan, now is not the time for being aggravating."

"Hey! Look, I wasn't stopping for you. I was stopping to check something."

The blonde whispers with a touch of irritation, and Regina watches- teeth gritted- as Emma bends down carefully and picks up a fist sized shard of rock and tosses it as far out over the edge as she can, where it eventually falls into some of the trees below.

"What are you doing?"

The Mayor hisses, and the younger woman sighs and explains quietly

"I wanted to see if there was any reaction to the sound or movement. We're almost back to the path, and I figured it might be nice if we climbed up without a bunch of kids waiting for us."

"Oh."

The brunette raises a brow in surprise, before moving reluctantly onwards as Emma beckons her to follow.

"And I _meant_ it, by the way."

"Meant what?"

"I'll look out for you. You _know_ I will."

"... Yes. I know."

Regina agrees pensively as she thinks again to how Emma might actually have an advantage when it comes to their current need for stealth, as she'd spent a good number of years before arriving in Storybrooke- _and ruining everything!_ \- honing the skill.

"When you _did_ hide... Where you ever found? Did things ever go wrong, or did you keep your cover?"

The Mayor asks quietly, and the younger woman pauses before reaching out and beginning the ascent up the rockface with a grunt of discomfort and her hand going to her side. Once halfway up, that same hand comes down and beckons invitingly. The brunette readies herself and makes to follow the Sheriff's request, before frowning when Emma sighs above her.

"Here."

The blonde says with a pointed glance down to her outstretched hand, and Regina studies pale fingers thoughtfully before taking them firmly in her own and allowing the younger woman to help her up. By the time they crawl out onto a wider stretch of rock that joins the path, she's panting, but she takes some solace in the fact that Emma is doing the same. Moving into the shadows, she agrees with the younger woman's suggestion that they rest for a moment gladly; her knees still feeling a little shaky despite the cloak of her terror having lifted as soon as they'd moved from the edge of the cliff.

"Once."

Emma says eventually, plucking up her top and checking the dressing to the wound beneath.

"Once?"

Regina frowns.

"One time things got a bit hairy when I was working bail. I was staking out and working my trap like any other time, but I got cocky. What I did for a living... It's a good way to make some enemies. When you're working the same area too often, you have to start paying attention to who you've crossed. All those people, a lot of them have friends and family, and it's a bad idea to assume you're the _only_ one that's figured what's going on. I was laying low, but not low enough, and got complacent with my locations. Luring someone somewhere where they can't get away too easily is something I did more often, but I was stupid and didn't do my research. The bar I chose was owned by the brother of a guy I put back into the system on a thirty-seven year to life charge... If the perp can't get out easy, the same rule generally applies all round. I'm lucky that was the _only_ near scrape I got into, as some misfortunes are unavoidable, but that day it was my own fault. I knew the place, I knew who frequented it, I knew it had potential ties to previous jobs as it was a scummy place, but I was tired, and didn't want the hassle of changing plans... After that, I remembered to be careful."

"The guy- the brother- he tried to get you back for what you did?"

"Yeah. Him and a couple of his friends, or whatever they were. Associates more likely... Not important; an asshole's an asshole."

"Did you get hurt?"

"No, but that was more down to luck than anything else. I got _scared_ , though, and maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. I think that's what we need to remember about being here with these kids running about... They're hunting us. They're kids, but they're _hunting_ us... That's pretty fucking scary."

"It is."

The brunette agrees solemnly, and she exchanges a look with the blonde as the latter glances up at her wearily.

"Some of the kids we saw before were Henry's age."

Emma muses uncomfortably, and the Mayor nods.

"Yes... But I'm still unsure about Pan. I'm unsure just _what_ he is."

"Evil. He's evil."

"That I suppose we _can_ say for sure."

"The rest of them, though. It's like they're brainwashed by him... Kids don't go out hunting for people. This isn't Lord of the Flies."

"They do if they've been fed a lie about what harm those people might mean to bring to them."

"I guess... It _is_ a lie though, right? We're not gonna hurt them if we can help it?"

"Of course _not_."

Regina frowns, a little taken aback and offended by the question, and the younger woman shakes her head as she explains swiftly

"I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I just... Usually when we fight things, they're _bigger_ than us. This is all kind of messed up."

"... This _is_ bigger than us, Emma. Our son has been kidnapped, our lives have been threatened, and Pan attempted to set something in motion with you that was utterly despicable. We _are_ going to fight... We _need_ to fight. But we save that for Pan. Until then, stealth has gotten us this far, let's just hope we can rely on it for a while longer... I'd say we should be in luck if that's to be our plan. You're an expert."

"Weren't you always telling me how obvious and _unstealthy_ I was? That you could 'see through' all of the things you told yourself I was up to?"

"That does sound like me."

The brunette agrees with a small smile, and the younger woman chuckles quietly before asking

"Shall we get going?"

"Let's."

"... And incidentally, you're _fairly_ sneaky yourself."

"Yes?"

Regina frowns, and Emma laughs at the definite note of irritation in her voice.

"Relax. We just established that it's a _good_ thing."

"Well, yes... But I was unaware you still thought of me that way."

"I don't... I figured you out ages ago."

The blonde smirks as she falls into step beside the Mayor, and the latter studies her shrewdly as she walks close beside her, sticking to the shadows as she keeps her voice low.

"There you go getting cocky again... That could get dangerous."

"True... But from _you_ , I kind of relish the threat."

"Be careful, dear."

"That's no fun, I-"

"-No. I mean, be _careful_... You're not staying in the shadows."

"Oh, I-"

"-Who's down there?"

A voice interrupts them sharply, and the brunette grabs a hold of the younger woman's hand and pulls her roughly into the darkness; backing them both against the rocks.

Up above, loose stones tumble down as footsteps break through the foliage.

"It's no use hiding down there!"


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the wait. I'd been editing one of my ooooold old fics All Magic Comes At A Price to sort out some grammar issues and wanted to get that finished before writing anything new :) More to come for this one this week as I haven't ended it quite where I wanted to, but I have been summoned for horror movies and rum, and decided to post what's here so that you don't think I've entirely abandoned this fic! I hope you enjoy, and comments would be really nice to counteract the shitty emailed I've been getting from work :/

" _It's no use hiding down there!"_

Comes a husky warning, before dust and stones precede the light thump of a pair of boots hitting the dirt.

"Not if you two are going to weave around like a pair of whispering drunks."

Tink finishes off teasingly, before stalling with her hands on her hips and a frown as she drinks in the scene portrayed by the others. Emma stands pressed into the brunette; Regina's hand clasped in hers while the Mayor links her other arm protectively around the blonde's shoulders. A moment of silence passes between the three of them as the fairy raises a brow, and the Queen and the Sheriff let go of one another while fully aware that it's a little too late to avoid any of the questions Tinkerbell is bound to have.

As it is, Tink merely shares a weighted look with Regina, before brushing herself down and moving over into the shadows herself.

"Are you two okay?"

"We weren't weaving."

Emma scolds her immediately, before adding defiantly

"And we're not _drunk_."

" _Like_ a pair of whispering drunks I said, it was a metaphor."

"That's a simile."

"Enough!"

Regina interrupts, throwing the Sheriff a look of utter bemusement before turning to Tink.

"Did you talk to Henry? How is my _son_?!"

"I did, only for a little while before I had to make myself scarce, but I saw him and passed over the obsidian."

The fairy assures, her eyes narrowed as she glowers at Emma, before beckoning the others to a small cove a little further up the rock so that they might talk without being discovered. The brunette follows readily, glancing over her shoulder at the blonde and shaking her head

"Do you just _enjoy_ being contrary when becoming acquainted with others, or is it just for my benefit?"

She mutters irritably, and Emma shrugs as she tags close behind; her eyes trained on the Mayor's backside as she scrambles up the rockface while emitting a series of disagreeable noises.

"Well, she was wrong, it wasn't a metaphor... We were also doing just _fine_ before she snuck up on us, or do the last couple of hours not count?"

"They don't if it's the last couple or _seconds_ that get you caught."

Tink interrupts, and she extends her hand to pull Regina up into the cove before doing the same to Emma. The Sheriff regards her offering with distaste, and the fairy sighs as she reaches a little further.

"Look, I didn't mean to insult either of you, I was only pointing something out. I'm actually _surprised_ you've come as far as you have given you were taking the track. When I heard noises down below, I thought it must have been one of the Lost Boys at first, only they don't _bicker_ like you two."

Tinkerbell explains, grinning when Emma accepts her hand after all and pulling her up so that she perches in the dark little cove; a close fit now that all three of them hide within.

"We don't _bicker_."

Regina frowns, and the fairy looks from the Sheriff to the Mayor before rolling her eyes, and Emma moves around so that she crouches beside Regina and faces their informer; nudging the brunette in the side and confiding beneath her breath

"We bicker."

Sighing as she is unable to catch what the younger woman says but recognising the venom in the Mayor's eyes easily, Tinkerbell clears her throat and calls the others back to the matter at hand.

"I believe you wanted to know about your _son_?"

"Of course we do!"

"Is he okay?"

All sense of waspishness vanishes instantly, and Tink looks from one to the other and nods. It still surprises her to see such a genuine look of care on the brunette's face given what has come to pass over the years, but after watching the darker woman help the Saviour seek refuge in the cave the previous evening, she understands that however warped it might appear from the outside, there exists amongst these two women and their son a family unit that possibly makes sense to none other but themselves. Similarly, however prickly she might find Emma- and it is a character flaw that is oddly growing on her somewhat as she has been able to glimpse a little more between the lines since being stuck with her company- the look the Sheriff offers her now is one of pure earnest and hope.

"He seemed fine; a little confused I think about the bigger picture, but he looked well and unharmed."

"Oh, thank god."

"Thank _you_."

Emma offers pointedly, and the fairy nods in acknowledgement before continuing

"You _should_ be thanking me; Pan has the camp on high alert, the place is under guard."

"Did you speak to him?"

Regina asks with a frown, and Tink shakes her head with an expression of open relief

"No. Pan and Felix- his dog's body of sorts- have gone out looking for the two of you. He'd left one of the older boys in charge of Henry, so I couldn't talk to him properly... I talked to some of the others, though... You two better be _sure_ this is how you want to go about this; you've got targets on your backs, and not the kind you're going to come out of this unscathed with. I'd ordinarily scoff that it might sound dramatic to warn you you'd be lucky to escape with your lives, but I'm beginning to feel a little uneasy even on _that_ count."

"Well, what _other_ choice do we have?"

"None... I don't think there's another choice for you to take, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't _warn_ you that your numbers are up."

"They've been up since we got here."

Emma points out, and the fairy makes a gesture with her hand that suggests she's uncertain this is the truth.

"Maybe... I think pulling the stunt you did with the Shadow and then the two of you disappearing might have sealed it."

"There was no 'stunt', Tink."

Regina warns dangerously, although she supposes in the fairy's defence that she might not call it that if she actually understood what had happened. Still, something in her tone must convey the need to tread carefully, as Tinkerbell's glance shifts from her, to Emma, and back again, before she continues quietly

"Pan hates to meet a fair match, that's all I'm saying... Not that _he_ plays fair, mind, but no one has ever been able to call him on it before... He's worried, else he would have stayed with your boy and sent the others after you."

"Well good. He _should_ be worried."

Emma growls, and Regina turns to study her pensively before blinking in surprise when Tink laughs softly

"You sound just like the Queen."

The younger woman raises an eyebrow as the fairy points at the brunette, and meets Regina's gaze in the shadows with a small smile. Sensing that the Mayor has taken Tink's words mockingly, she shrugs and confides quietly

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing in this instance."

"Please, like you could pull it off."

The Mayor scoffs with an edge to her voice, and she strives to change the subject before she's forced to explain the reason behind it.

 _That is a part of myself I both regret and miss sorely; the power and what it did to those around me. When your mother fought to take the throne, the thought of her conveying that same magnificence was_ laughable _to me, but with you... Thinking about it invokes feelings I neither know what to do with, nor imagine can be acted upon with an audience without you holding the fact against me._

Blushing delicately as she gathers herself and pushes away all fancies of the look on Emma's face- _nevermind_ Tinkerbell's- should she make a rather sordid bid for dominance, she ignores the younger woman's grumbling beside her and looks back up at the fairy.

"Did Henry say anything to you? About us? About any of this?"

"No, he's been closely shielded from the truth. I chanced a slip of words and confided that two women were out looking for him, but to say more on the matter would have been foolish, as I hope you can understand."

"Yeah, that's fair. And he'll have guessed it was us, as unless there's a whole _lot_ the kid is hiding, I'm not sure who _else_ that might suggest!"

Emma grins, and Regina nods with a bemused look. Tink shrugs and continues

"What little I _did_ say was dangerous. We'll have to hope that it's given your boy pause for thought, as I had no way of telling him what was in the volcano glass."

"If _anyone_ can figure that out, it's Henry."

The Sheriff assures and the brunette agrees readily

"He'll know you were there for a reason, and that's a big step already."

"Well, I hope you're both right... About all of this. I hope you know what you're doing."

Tink sighs, before moving to the enterance of the small cove and swinging her legs out into the light.

"I better get back to Matty; those boys are crazy breaking ranks with Pan. You two had just better remember your promise to those kids... If you don't help them, they're doomed."

"That's cheery."

Emma sighs, and Regina frowns as she watches Tinkerbell begin backing out down the slope.

"Wait, you're _leaving_?!"

"I told you; I want no part of the front line when things get dicey."

"But-"

"-Look, the camp is ten minutes or so away; forty if you're lying low until the undergrowth gives out. Then, I don't really know what to suggest..."

"If we wait until nightfall-"

"-You stand a better chance."

Tink agrees, before warning ominously

"You may also be feeding right out of Pan's palm. He's twisted and malevolent but he masks himself as a boy, and as such his expectation of when bad things strike is fairly ingrained."

"What do you mean by that?"

Regina asks, her brow furrowing as her mind goes back to the dark thoughts suffered following Pan's disturbing ploy to get Emma off his tail.

"What do you mean that he _masks_ himself as a boy... What hides beneath?"

She urges, and Tinkerbell pauses- her hands gripping the lip of the cove, leaving only slim fingers and her face visible to the women that hide in the darkness- before shaking her head and jumping down onto the path below.

"What hides behind _any_ mask?"

"Someone trying to hide their identity?"

Regina frowns, before the Sheriff shakes her head and replies much more simply

"A monster."

The fairy nods at this, standing with her jaw cocked up to them as the pale sun casts her shadow long and withered on the track.

"Emma gets it."

She agrees cryptically, before waving her hand and wishing them luck, leaving both women frowning after her, feeling suddenly very much out of their depth.

"What did she mean; _you_ get it? What made your suggestion better than mine?"

Regina asks irritably, and the blonde pulls a face as she moves a little to the side so that she can stretch her legs out in front of her and rest.

"This island is run by kids. Even if Pan _isn't_ one, his power lies in who he oversees. The concept of a monster is pretty standard in the eyes of a prepubescent, even if it wears a mask... _Every_ kid's afraid of a monster."

"Were you?"

"Sure. As a kid. Weren't you?"

"Well... I was always told those fears were unfounded and a sign of immaturity, even as a girl. I was told not to be so foolish."

"... That doesn't answer the question. Were you scared of monsters? Of what your mind _perceived_ to be a monster, even if it was just your ridiculous collection of gowns or whatever bustled in the shadows of your wardrobe once the lights were turned on."

"That's both presumptuous and inaccurate; I had a dressing room detached from my chambers."

"Well, excuse _me_!"

"... But, yes. Yes, I suppose I can see what you mean."

Regina sighs dismissively, and Emma grins at her, finally pulling the handkerchief from around her head.

"Are you sore because your friend chose my answer over yours?"

"Hardly."

"You know, I think she's beginning to kind of like me... Funny how that tends to happen."

The blonde flashes her tongue and the brunette rolls her eyes, before calling the younger woman out and stating solemnly

"Whichever one of us was _right_ means little without a plan..."

And suddenly the air between them is once more somber.

"Well... I guess we wait until nightfall..."

"And _then_ what?"

Regina snaps, but her tone is fractured not with anger but with fear, and the blonde bears her no grudge.

"That's what we need to figure out... It's a shame Henry's not here. He'd be great at this."

"He would."

The Mayor agrees wistfully.

"Well... How would he go about it?"

"He'd make a plan... Call it something ridiculous... And badger either you or I to humour him."

"Okay, so let's try that... Give me a name..."

"... Why? So that you can shoot it down?"

"Of course!"


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the wait, I have been looking for a new job and a lot of my evenings have been spent trying to get people to hire me! Anyway, here you go! Things are about to go down! I hope you enjoy, and please review :)

In the end, neither Regina nor Emma agrees on a name for their operation as this attempt to lighten the mood fades away to a deeper and more serious talk about tactics. They sit facing one another in the dank shadows of the cove; really just a small chunk gouged out of the rock, the walls pitted and wet. Night has yet to fall, and so each is able to study the other's features through the gloom as they talk in hushed voices. It occurs to the blonde that she doesn't think she's ever seen the Mayor look as tired as she does now, and she would guess that the same is most likely true for herself.

"The real issue is how we get from the undergrowth to the treehouse... After that, we have no way of _knowing_ who might be lurking inside and where."

Regina repeats for what feels like the tenth time, and the younger woman nods but lacks any solution. It now dawns on her how foolish they'd been not to ask more about the treehouse when talking to Matty, but high levels of adrenalin and the need to get closer to Henry had made it hard to think things through. She's asked the brunette if they might have any luck using magic to enter the treehouse, but memories of how draining it had been on the darker woman just to get them across the gorge had left her voicing this option without any real hope.

"I guess we just have to take it as it comes."

Emma sighs, her hand resting on the backpack holding the curious smoke devices given to them by Matty's defectors.

"Maybe once we see the lay of the land, the best option will present itself."

Regina agrees, although she feels just as dubious as her companion looks; the blonde's mouth a hard line and her brow furrowed. It is a look the brunette has seen on countless occasions, including several of which she'd been the cause. At the time, that tangible disquiet had pleased her, she'd fed off of it hungrily, but it has since been a look she has tried to ease as their intentions have more recently been shared. Now though, she finds rather than just empathy, she feels distraught when faced with the Sheriff's clear anguish and she laughs quietly.

"What is it?"

"Nothing... I was just thinking about all the times in the past when a large portion of my joy came from your discomfort and suffering. It's funny how things change."

"Yeah, not so amusing now you're stuck on this side of the coin, is it?"

"What side is that?"

"Well, the good side, I guess. The side that isn't out to fuck everything up. My side."

"You've messed around _plenty_ on your end, Miss Swan."

"Not maliciously. I've stood up to you numerous times and put a stop to some of your shit, but I've never struck out at you hoping for the worst."

"No, I suppose not... I was thinking how I don't like seeing you like this."

Regina elaborates truthfully, and Emma holds her gaze as she muses over this quiet admission thoughtfully.

"No, I don't like seeing you like this either. In a way, it's nice to be on the same side like we are, but it would be better if one of us had an out. Usually, it's either the two of us going head to head, or some strange surprise relative vying for favour-"

"-You can call her my _mother_ , you don't have to pretend that's not what you're talking about..."

"Fine. But I don't just mean Cora, I wasn't exactly expecting _Neal_ to be part of all of this _either_... The last year or so has been such a mess of insanity, but usually one of us swoops in to help the other at the end of the day. Sure, it can take some persuading when it comes to you, but in the end we've always done what's right."

"Well, I-"

"-But now, we're both just in this together, just the two of us."

"... Do you regret agreeing to my request to have it this way? Emma, if your parents were in on this, they'd not allow you to do what you need to do. I'm not saying that cruelly, I'm saying it because you're their daughter and because I'm terrified right now in the face of what we have to do. _We_ would never let _Henry_ help us with something like this, not when it's so dangerous, and for them I imagine that protectiveness over you is similar. You're an adult, but you're _theirs,_ no matter how unwilling you are to discuss the intricacies of that fact. If you're regretting your decision though, I-"

"-No. I don't regret it... We wouldn't have even had the option open for discussion if it weren't for the fact I didn't want them to know what happened with Hook. You were right saying this would have to be the two of us... I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I-"

"-I mean, _I_ don't really want to get hurt _either_! But, I _especially_ don't want anything to happen to _you_... I've stepped in to help you a bunch of times, Regina, but it's never been like this. Before, I did it because it was the right thing to do, no matter what state our relationship was in. Now though, I'm scared for Henry, I'm scared for myself, and I'm scared for you. We're going into this together, and I guess I'm just really terrified that something might go wrong and that something might happen to you that I can't prevent. I know we're doing this to save Henry, and by that token, there's very little choice in the matter, but of everything that's weighing on my mind right now and causing my heart to race just thinking about making our next move, something happening to you is my main concern. Pan _needs_ Henry, for a despicable purpose, but his dependency at least gives the kid a touch of protection for the time being... There's nothing to stop him hurting you. Only me."

Emma swallows, an audible click sounding in her throat, and the Mayor studies her pensively, feeling a little flushed. She knows of course that the blonde has her back, but she can read between the lines to understand what the Sheriff has trouble saying. It's not just responsibilty Emma refers to, but care, and Regina offers a small smile before leaning forwards and brushing her lips gently against the blonde's. Running her hand up into long hair, she squeezes tangled curls and keeps Emma nose to nose with herself as she confides quietly

"I wouldn't rather it was anyone else... And I feel the same. You've really given me cause for concern these last couple of days, Miss Swan, and while I know that it is our way to keep such emotional outbursts at bay, I want you to understand that I appreciate what you've just told me and that it's reciprocated. I came to this island feeling as though I had no one I could count on, I felt entirely alone. I would never have dreamed things would go the way they have done; I would never have thought I could let the past go. You scared me though, being in such a poor state after what Pan had Hook do, I found myself very afraid that you might not be okay. Since then, that feeling has only compounded, and while I know we have to do this, I don't think I could deal with watching you suffer again."

"Well, we'll just have to make sure we both make it then."

The blonde chuckles without much humour, before deepening their kiss and pulling the brunette into her. Regina complies willingly, moving so that she straddles the younger woman with a careful shift to keep her weight off her hip. Her breath comes in nervous pants as she studies pale features through the gloom, and she wonders if perhaps now isn't the time for them to progress with what seems to be happening naturally, but the look Emma offers her is one of tension and fear, and she leans down and captures soft lips hungrily; relishing the comforting warmth of the Sheriff as the latter moves pale hands down to the fastening of her dresspants.

"We will."

Regina whispers pushing her own hand roughly down into tight denim while lifting her hips to allow Emma better access. She wants to suggest that they simply remove their clothes- out of practicality but also as she now knows the generous sight that has remained hidden until recently- but the cove is dank and dark and the edge of danger is still in the air. Instead, she uses this electric tension; bearing down on the younger woman with hot kisses and sly teasing. Emma reciprocates gladly, her fingers fast as the Mayor hisses encouragement against her parted lips.

"We'll be fine."

The brunette repeats as she begins to shudder, forcing herself to keep her eyes slitted open so that she can watch the younger woman start to shake beneath her. It's fast for both of them but the release is a blessing, and as she rides out her pleasure, the Mayor urges the blonde to continue with her ministrations through gritted teeth; allowing that surge of adrenalin and pleasure to roll over her for as long as she is able to handle before finally collapsing on top of the Sheriff.

"Uh."

Emma winces, and Regina pulls back immediately, regarding her worriedly.

"Your side, did I-"

"-No, not my side."

The blonde chuckles breathlessly, jerking once again as the brunette removes her hand from her jeans and the Mayor laughs darkly with understanding. Falling back down into the younger woman, she swallows as Emma moves carefully onto her side so that they recline curled in towards each other; legs an entwined heap and noses close.

"It's getting on for dark."

The Queen murmurs, and the blonde nods as she studies glittering coals.

"We'll leave when the stars come out."

"Good idea."

"...Is it? Is _any_ of this?"

"No... But it's all that we've got. We've got this idea, and we've got each other."

"...Man, I want to make fun of you for saying that kind of shit right now..."

"You disagree?"

"No... No, I agree fully. We have an idea- a wild shot in the dark, and maybe we're mad- but we have each other.

* * *

"Crap."

Henry mutters under his breath, knowing one mother would disapprove while the other might blush guiltily as she's pretty fond of the word herself. This thought causes him to smile a little sadly. He misses his mothers terribly, as well as the others, and with each passing hour that sense of homesickness becomes just a little more painful. At first, his time here with Pan and his boys had been fun, it had been carefree. Now, there's something going on and the treehouse is on high alert, although no one has seen fit to tell him anything. He'd wondered if it was a case of not having been here long enough to earn Peter's trust, but after the curious incident with Tinkerbell earlier he's no longer sure. The fairy had spoken of two women out on the island- two women Pan has gone out to find- and he knows it's Regina and Emma, how could it not be? He doesn't know how they've come here or how they'd figured out how to find him, but he knows that it will be his mothers.

The thought had been comforting for a brief second before being overshadowed by a deep and unsettling sense of disquiet as he'd continued to watch how the boys left in the treehouse had been acting. Pan had gone out to find the women- his mothers- and he'd taken back up. Not just that, he's left behind a small army.

_Tinkerbell had been scared. Scared of being here, scared to talk to me..._

Yes, he's sure of it, and this thought concerns him most of all. Tinkerbell is an adult, a woman, and she'd shown fear in the face of his new companions.

Opening up his fist as he checks the door to make sure that it remains closed- having begged some time to rest to appease a feigned headache-he turns the jet black glass over in his palm with his brow furrowed. He studies it shrewdly, but can see no clue on what it is. Hesitating, he lifts it first to his eye, and then- remembering a neat trick from one of the Harry Potter books- to his lips.

Nothing.

He touches the glass with the tip of his tongue, feeling ever so slightly foolish.

Nothing.

Brow furrowing deeper as a deep sense of frustration begins to take its hold, he raises the glass again and speaks to it.

"Mom? Moms? Emma? Mom?"

Nothing.

Nothing, but the fairy must have given him the curious shard for _something_! It might not even have anything to _do_ with his mothers, but he hopes- he wishes- that it will. He likes it here, there are no rules and he has been commended for his help and his belief in magic, but he misses his home and his family.

"What do I _do_ with you?!"

He demands of the shard, but it glistens uselessly in his palm.

"Ah!"

He shouts, frustrated and confused, throwing the obsidian against the wall. At his outburst, a low knock sounds at the door, and he falls to his knees hurriedly to grab the glass and hide it.

"Henry?"

Tobias asks, sticking his head around the door to check on his captive.

"What's wrong, what was that noise?"

"Nothing, sorry, I fell."

Henry explains swiftly, supposing he could be excused as his knees are scuffed and his thumb throbs with a sharp pain from his hasty collision with the splintered boards of the floor.

"Well, be careful."

Tobias scolds gruffly, and the younger boy nods and makes his way purposely over to the narrow cot in the corner, breathing a sigh of relief as Tobias leaves. Wrinkling his nose and inspecting his thumb, Henry sighs as he spies a large splinter caught in the soft pad. He pulls it out with his tongue between his teeth; several ruby beads of blood welling in its wake.

"Crap."

He reiterates, watching as one falls to blossom on the bed covers. The wound is superficial however, and he pays it no more mind. Pulling the obsidian from the hidden depths of his sleeve and turning it over while struggling to come up with an answer. As it comes into contact with his hand- smeared and red- he drops the shard; a soft sigh, like a whisper emitting from its glassy depths.

"What...?"

Picking it back up gingerly, he studies it dubiously before lifting it to his ear.

Eyes widening, his teeth show in a large, uninhibited smile.

Voices.

Two voices that he would recognise anywhere, and oh, it's so good to hear them!

Kind words, friendly words, known words.

Anecdotes and a short affirmation that his mothers are here, they're on the island, and they're looking for him.

_Who knows what bloodshed might reveal..._

Tinkerbell's words from earlier, and he lets out a small breath of delight before the reality of what he holds dawns on him.

The way the women's message has been brought to him is secretive, covert. The way the fairy had acted had been fearful and uneasy. She'd felt the need to present him with the riddle he holds, without even daring to make sure he had the key to open it. The others are scared. Scared of Pan.

They're scared of Pan and the boy king is out on the hunt.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm back from holiday so updates should be coming out again :) I'd initially planned on delving straight into the next chapter, but things never come out the way I think they're going to when writing these, and I liked what came out inbetween so kept it as is. I hope you enjoy, and comments would be really nice :)

Kneeling up on the bed, Henry waits with his arms folded on the makeshift windowsill- no glass filling the gap, only a crude cross of wood sectioning the space- and looks out onto the darkness below. The night seems still and calm, and apart from the odd flicker of movement he spies from the rocks that crowd the treehouse, he sees little else worth noting.

Still, there is a smell in the air, the smell of adrenaline and of tension. He's sure he's imagining that- sure that tension _has_ no known scent- but he knows that it's true just the same. He is young, but over the last year he has seen a great many strange and sometimes terrifying things, and he knows how to detect an ominous change in the atmosphere. Until Pan had left with his small group of trusted followers on what he had called a 'search mission', the stars emerging had been met at the camp with glee and a jubilant procession of festivities. Every other night there has been a campfire built down in the clearing below, accompanied by music and sweet treats and games. Now, there is only silence and darkness.

" _It feels too quiet, looks too safe... I don't like it."_

Emma's words when they had been playing Xbox upstairs in her room at his grandparents'. He had made fun of her conspiring tone, and with good reason. He'd completed the level several days before and had known there was nothing more to come until the final boss battle a little later. A battle she had subsequently failed several times before giving up moodily and shoving the controller his way. At the time, he'd delighted in his superiority over the blonde, but now he just remembers her words of disquiet and warning. He knows that she and Regina have seen things that he has not. He knows that each of them have fought their own, very _real_ boss battles. He'd made fun of her because it has always amused him to poke fun at the blonde- an adult- in a way Regina has never allowed him to do to herself, but he finds now that he understands her dark suspicion perfectly.

Swallowing, he turns the obsidian over in his palm before once more closing it tightly in his fist. His mothers have assured him that they are here, they're coming for him, and that they love him. The more time that has passed since hearing those words, the more he has come to realise that his initial appreciation for the island and the freedom of the Lost Boys has been replaced by something less comfortable. He's enjoyed his small excursion free from rules and adults, but now he just wants to go home. In all honesty, he is mature enough to admit that a lot of the rules recently put in place have been for his protection, and not simply the bid for authority of most ordinary parents. Initially, his mother had been strict, infuriatingly so. Then Emma had come into the picture, and the blonde's entirely different approach to tentatively accepting her own parental role had sparked a change in Regina's way of doing things. At first, it had been resistance, and even _more_ suffocating rules, but slowly, after the breaking of the curse, he has noticed that she will allow him things and turn a blind eye to matters that she wouldn't have before. He is unsure whether the brunette has realised this herself, but the sneaky, cunning side of his psyche- the side that Regina has always blamed on genetics when scolding him this last year- supposes that this might come down to her attempting to beat the blonde in the arduous and complicated game they've been playing since they met.

Those had all been small victories, however. A second helping of icecream. A late night despite there being school the next day. In general, the more serious rules governing his young life of late have been put in place to keep him safe from harm.

He can see that now.

Sighing, he shifts position and continues to stare out into the night; his arms crossed beneath his chin as they had been that first night when he'd watched the clock to see if Emma would remain true to her word and stay to help him.

The same as they had been when waiting for Regina to come home on the infrequent occasions when she would leave the house after the curse first broke.

His mothers can drive him crazy sometimes with their bickering over him, but bickering is usually all that it is nowadays, and for that he is glad, and he loves them. He is relieved that they're no longer at each other's throats, yet somewhat surprised that they appear to be working together. It is not the first time of course, but previous camaraderie has been sceptical on Emma's behalf and entirely _begrudging_ on Regina's. For them to have come this far, to have tracked him to another realm, they will have had to put their past differences firmly aside. Given how not long before this most recent disaster occured, the brunette had seen it fit to destroy their town and everyone else in it, he can't help but wonder just how _amiable_ things currently are between Regina and the others.

 _Worry about that when we get back. Even if she and Emma turn out to_ hate _each other again, that's better than never seeing them again. Maybe one day, that can even be worked on a little bit. Maybe somewhere, a_ long _way down the line, they'll even be friends._

He smiles thinly, accepting deep down that it will never happen.

* * *

"The stars are out."

Regina states quietly, and Emma nods but says nothing. She simply stares out into the gloom. They sit stiffly beneath the blanket taken from the cave; the brunette having pulled it from the bag half an hour ago when she had no longer been able to keep from shivering. She imagines that some of this might have been due to stress, but when she'd shifted her position and brushed the back of her hand over the bare flesh of the blonde's arm, she'd felt a similar chill. She'd considered for a moment telling the younger woman to put her sweater back on- black wool once more tied around Emma's waist- and had even opened her mouth to do so, before considering this to be a bad idea. She enjoys winding the blonde up, perhaps more so _now_ than she had before their relationship had changed and evolved; she enjoys the glower of warning she receives when she does so. There are certain things that she knows truly infuriate Emma however, rather than just get her amusingly hot and bothered, and she has discovered mothering to be one of them. Still, she has done so occasionally without giving the act any thought, but in this instance, she had refrained, and simply spread the itchy wool of the throw out over the both of them.

"We should make a move."

She prompts a little louder, and Emma nods once again, before turning to face her.

"Yeah, I suppose we should."

The Sheriff agrees, pushing herself up onto her haunches and pulling over the rucksack from the corner.

"If not now, then when, right?"

She continues woodenly, and Regina watches as the younger woman pulls on her sweater and ties back her hair.

"We _have_ to go now. Henry's relying on us."

She states quietly, and Emma offers a small downturn of the side of her mouth to show how she feels about their impending mission.

"Yeah. I know."

She nods, her eyes wide with trepidation in the shadows.

"Just think of it like back when you would go after a particularly difficult person when you were doing bail bonds work."

Regina suggests uneasily, knowing that her own expression must be equally grave.

"Perp... And thanks. Sorry... I'm not sure what transparently comforting analogy I can offer the Queen."

Emma sighs, but she pays the irritable flash of anger this comment garners her little concern. The brunette is tense. They both are. Instead, she offers a quiet admission of confidence to ease the sting of her words.

"... You know, after Graham... Died... I'm convinced you believed that I took on the position of Sheriff just to infuriate you."

" _Didn't_ you?!"

"I'll admit it was a selling factor, sure, but I was nervous. It seemed like a lot of commitment. Commitment to Henry, to Storybrooke, and to the insane theories the kid kept coming out with. I was uncomfortable with that, but I was also kind of stoked... I've never told anyone this before, but I'd always quite liked the idea of being a cop. Sheriff seemed like a good substitute."

"Why the secrecy? Apart from a _complete_ lack of respect for authority, I suppose I could see you thriving in such a position. I would have thought it would be an easy enough dream to realise; I can't imagine that entry is all _too_ difficult or selective, given some of the stories I've heard about what goes on in the outside world. Why go into bailbonds work, if it's not what you truly wanted to do? It doesn't seem like the basic requirements for either position differ greatly?"

"They don't, really... There _is_ one _big_ difference, though."

"No uniform?"

"No partner. When I worked bail, I worked for myself. I worked alone. My rule has always been to watch my own back and no one else's. _Always_."

"I see... Well, dear, while I appreciate you telling me this, and I understand the underlying context is you reiterating that you have my back, I _do_ have to point out that your self preservation and stoniness- while hardly anything new- are a complete farce."

"How do you mean?"

"Miss Swan, since gatecrashing my little town, you have done nothing _but_ meddle in the wellbeing of each and every one of us here. You have taken on responsibility for _all_ of us at one point or other... This _should_ by now be a practice of _habit,_ not exception."

Regina smiles wanly, and the blonde frowns.

"...I guess I hadn't really thought about it that way."

She muses, before looking up into dark coals with a curiously childlike expression of confusion.

"How come this feels so _different_ , then? What makes this unlike all the other times?"

"Sexual attraction? Lust?"

The Mayor scoffs mockingly, relishing the dark look Emma throws her. She watches green eyes narrow, the younger woman appearing momentarily uneasy as silence follows her teasing.

"Am I wrong?"

She challenges, wanting to break that damning tension; knowing its cause. Knowing that Emma, like herself, is fully aware that 'lust' isn't the right word, but that neither one of them would ever _dream_ of uttering what she could have let slip instead.

"...No. Just full of shit."

The younger woman snaps eventually, although her cheeks flare a telling pink. She moves to the lip of the cove and lowers the rucksack over the side before allowing it to fall lightly into the dust. She manoeuvres herself to the edge and climbs swiftly down; landing neatly beside the bag.

"Come on."

She mutters tersely, Regina's teasing insinuation sitting in her chest like a lead weight; an enormous and terrifying realisation. The brunette moves cautiously over to the edge and swings her legs out over the drop; her expression gracefully poised save for a flash of unease in dark eyes. The blonde extends a hand, reaching up and offering it to Mayor who accepts the gesture with a gracious lack of comment. She simply allows Emma to help her down, and watches silently as the Sheriff shoulders the rucksack and pulls it firmly into place before stalking a couple of steps further along the path.

"Shit."

The blonde grumbles, turning back to face the Mayor who has yet to follow her; Regina's own attention cast dubiously up at the dark silhouettes of the rocks that crowd ominously around them.

"What?"

The brunette asks distractedly.

"We forgot to pack the blanket back up."

Emma sighs, padding back and making to remove the rucksack so that she can clamber back into the cove to retrieve it. A gentle hand on her shoulder stops her in her tracks, and she looks up into glittering eyes questioningly.

"Leave it... This is all going to work. We're going to get Henry, and then we're going home. We won't need it."

Regina assures, although her voice wavers a little with nerves and uncertainty.

"Alright."

Emma nods, turning away from the cove to face the brunette in the shadows.

"Let's get going, then. I'm sick to death of this place, and you and I have a dinner date when we get back."

"...Is now really the time to be joking around?"

"I never joke about dinner."

The blonde confides solemnly, and Regina lets out an exasperated breath of laughter before suddenly stepping forward and hugging the younger woman fiercely.

"Don't get hurt, alright?"

She whispers against the Sheriff's grazed cheek.

"Yeah, you too. If you do, I'll kill you."

Emma mutters with her face buried into the brunette's shoulder.

"Well, I suppose it _is_ your turn to try."

The Mayor agrees, and she squeezes hard as the blonde laughs before letting her go and studying her intently. Emma smiles- tight and thin- before beckoning that they make their way further along the doomed path.

"Come on. We'll cut through the bushes up ahead there."

"And then what?"

"And then... I don't know."

The younger woman admits, her smile becoming just a trapped bearing of teeth, and Regina nods, reciprocating with her own dreadful smile before leading them onwards.

"...Well, we've always managed to work something out between the two of us before. What's to stop us this time?"

She asks with a grossly theatrical injection of optimism.

She is unsurprised when her question- for the most part nervously rhetorical- goes unanswered.


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Dun dun dun... Comments would be awesome :)

"Watch what you touch."

Regina warns as she and Emma leave the path and slip into the dense cover of the bushes. She is glad that she walks in front of the blonde so that she's saved from being teased for the way she is unable to refrain from wrinkling her nose in distaste. The vegetation is thick and twisted; a litany of roots, vines and dead blooms that carry a strong and unpleasant odour.

"No shit."

The younger woman grumbles, itching to take out her sword to cut them a route as she has done before, but knowing that it would be unwise to make any undue noise.

"Don't get snippy, I'm just looking out for you."

The Mayor scolds, and Emma rolls her eyes as she points out fairly

"I know, but could you not do it in a way that suggests I'm _brain_ -damaged. I _know_ not to touch things on this hell-hole island by now!"

"You knew not to do all _sorts_ of things back in Storybrooke, and it didn't stop you."

Regina sighs, glancing over her shoulder as she is given a sharp prod in the back in retaliation.

"That was different, it wasn't so much that I knew not to do them, I just knew _you_ didn't _want_ me to do them. There's a world of difference between the two, Madame Mayor."

Emma mutters, and the brunette smirks before once more adopting a morose expression. She can tell from the younger woman's tone that she's forcing her usual asinine behaviour, just as she can tell that her own lack of commitment to snapping back speaks of nervousness and dread.

"Tink said the walk shouldn't be too long now."

The blonde muses quietly, and the Mayor nods, although she can see nothing promising in front of them save for a thick wall of greenery and thorns.

"Is that a good or bad thing?"

She asks, stepping over the curved boughs of some long dead animal's ribcage with a shudder.

"Just an observation."

Emma replies, not sure of the answer herself. She watches the way Regina cringes away from the dank obstacles in their way, but feels no inclination to tease her for it. She considers volunteering to take the lead so that the brunette can at least walk in her tracks, but she feels stiff and uncomfortable after sitting in the damp of the cove for so long, and she doesn't want the darker woman to worry unduly at the slight limp once more accenting her stride.

After all, she's fine, she's sure.

_Pretty sure._

"Maybe we're going the wrong way, I can't see _anything_ up ahead and we've been coming this way for a good ten minutes."

The Mayor frowns, casting a glance over her shoulder as she voices her concerns.

"It's been more like five."

Emma weighs in.

"Don't be difficult, now's not the time."

"I'm _not_ being difficult _._ I'm being practical; it's been closer to five minutes than ten, but it _feels_ like it's been at least half an hour. It feels that way because we're nervous, and this is hardly a _calming_ walk to our fate."

Her words are accompanied by a terrible shriek up above, and each stiffens fearfully before the younger woman laughs with tangible nervousness as she speculates

"That was just a bird."

Regina nods in agreement, but her pallor is ashen and her eyes are wide.

"A bird."

She confirms warily, before turning back and continuing on into the darkness of the undergrowth.

"I do wish you wouldn't have worded it that way, though: 'to our fate'. You're just _asking_ for trouble."

"No."

"No?"

"No, I'm not asking for it... I'm _expecting_ it, though."

Emma sighs, before pointing out

"We _both_ are, else we wouldn't be sneaking through the forest with our hearts in our throats."

"I suppose you're right."

The brunette nods, ducking down beneath a fallen tree and stepping gingerly over its sprawling branches. She turns to watch Emma do the same, noting the way the younger woman moves with uncharacteristic care and furrowing her brow. Green eyes flicker up to meet her own and the blonde offers a tight smile that begs her not to ask or say anything on the matter. Regina thins her lips, staring the younger woman down before finally turning back around with an audible sigh.

"Come on."

Is all she says, and Emma hurries her pace a little as the natural path through the thickets widens so that they can once more walk side by side; clambering over a fallen branch that blocks the way. Each woman wonders if the decreased density of the undergrowth means that they are nearing the edge of the forest, but before either of them can vocalise the mixture of hope and trepidation veiling this theory, a small noise- almost a whisper- sounds from above, and a fine spray of spores clouds out around them.

"What was _that_?!"

The blonde asks, covering her nose and mouth with her hand instinctively, but the curious dust has already dissipated and she slowly concludes that she feels no different.

"Do you think we just dislodged something? Maybe that was just dust, but I-"

She trails off, coming to a nervous halt beside the Mayor who stands frozen.

"Regina? Are you alright? Did that stuff do something?... Was it dreamshade?"

She asks with belated horror, and the brunette shakes her head slowly, looking up at the younger woman and advising numbly

"No. Dreamshade can only harm you if you brush up against its thorns... That was pollen."

"Pollen?"

The Sheriff frowns, looking around for any sign of the dying, wilted blooms that had framed their path closer to the cove but seeing only dark green and skeletal white.

"I don't see anything it could have come from."

"I do."

Regina swallows, pointing up to a couple of large pods hidden in the branches. Emma frowns, noting that they look more like leather than they do any kind of fauna she has seen before.

"What are they?"

"Sacks... They must be on some kind of trigger; most likely set off by us climbing over those branches just now."

"What do you mean 'trigger'? You think someone _put_ them up there?"

"Definitely."

The brunette agrees in a strained tone, and the younger woman nibbles her lip nervously as she can see a growing sense of dread building up in her companion like an electrical storm.

"...Regina, what was that stuff? Why would anyone trigger a burst of pollen?"

"Because some pollen is _potent_ , or did you believe I allowed Tink to hold me captive by _choice_?"

"You mean that was _poppies_?!"

"Yes."

"But I thought... I thought Tink knocked you out? I thought-"

"-A simple mixture, easy enough to make. Mix the pollen with a little viburnum and you create a knock out effect... The virburnum causes you to sleep, the poppies block your magic."

"...For how long?"

Emma asks in a small voice, her eyes darting over the Mayor's face as the latter looks down at her hands fearfully.

"Hard to say. Maybe half an hour, maybe more."

" _Fuck_! Then what do we _do_?!"

The blonde asks, and she looks around uncomfortably as Regina does the same. Finally, she meets dark eyes full of disquiet, nodding in agreement when the brunette whispers

"We get out of here. _Now_."

"Back the way we came?"

"No, there'll be signs of where we walked before where the undergrowth was dense; it's too easy to track us... Come on, this way, over to where the ground is clearer."

She instructs, beckoning the younger woman to follow her to the left; cutting away from their direct route to the treehouse at a pace little slower than if she were jogging.

"Are you okay?"

She asks over her shoulder, not caring if she receives an irritable response, so long as it's affirmative.

"Yeah, I'm right behind you."

Emma assures, and at this remark, the brunette quickens her pace; her blood pounding loud in her ears as she works to make some distance between herself and what she knows had been a trap.

"Emma?"

She calls breathlessly as she senses that the younger woman has fallen behind a little.

"I'm fine, just keep going."

The blonde calls back, her own tone brittle as she clenches her teeth against the icy pain that stabs at her side with each hurried step.

Regina does as she's told, cresting a steep knoll of dank black earth and spying a small clearing down below; a meagre sanctuary shielded on all sides by large trees, and leading to thick undergrowth similar to that they have already encountered.

"Come on!"

She calls over her shoulder, hurrying down the bank and stumbling with a low grunt as something trips her up. She takes a couple of staggered steps forwards- propelled by her previous speed- before letting out a glassy shriek as a bolt of agony shoots up her leg. She crumples to the floor, unable to move, before pushing herself up just in time to catch a shadow of movement up above.

A loud creek, and she looks up- eyes wide with horror- as a makeshift crate with crude nails and shards of glass hammered into its base begins its ominous descent.

"Emma!"

She cries out, throwing her arms over her head and squeezing her eyes shut; waiting for her fate with the taste of blood- of fear- slick in her throat.

"Regina!"


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Dun dun dun... Enjoy :) Please review.

**A/N:** _Dun dun dun... Enjoy :) Please review._

* * *

Regina cowers beneath the rigged crate, waiting for a fate that doesn't come. She catches a scuffling sound and a grunt to her right and finally dares to lower her arms so that she can figure out what's happened. The weaponised crate swings over her head ominously; now only six feet above her rather than ten. She looks over to where Emma stands with her hands wrapped around a thick hunk of rope that tapers off into the trees and loops over the top of the crate. The blonde appears short of breath and has her own eyes closed and the Mayor calls over to her fearfully.

"Do _not_ let go! _Okay_? Emma, please, _promise_ me you won't let go!"

"Yeah, yeah, okay! _Fuck_! Just get _out_ from under there!"

The younger woman barks, her voice strained as she keeps her teeth clenched. Her eyes are pinned on the brunette, begging her to haul ass and get out of harm's way. Regina shakes her head, and when she crouches back down, the blonde screams at her desperately

"What the hell are you _doing_!? Get _out_! For fuck's _sake_!"

"I _can't_!"

The Mayor snaps back, her tone matching Emma's as each suffers swift flares of rage that are born from sheer panic, and she tugs at her leg a couple of times before forcing herself to take a breath and reply a little more informatively.

"Emma, I can't move my leg; it's caught."

" _What_?!"

"There's a trap, a snare, I don't know... I think I'm bleeding."

The Mayor elaborates, and her voice wavers as she shares this last part; more out of shock than pain. The sides of the strange wooden trap have cut through her pants where they've sprung closed, but she can still move her toes inside her boot and the sharp slice of the splintered wood has been replaced mostly by pressure as she tries to wiggle her way out.

"Emma..."

She looks up pleadingly, although logically she knows that with the blonde holding the rope to keep the crate from falling, there's very little else she can do.

"Try pulling harder."

The younger woman replies breathlessly, and dark eyes narrow as the Mayor seethes fearfully

"Don't you think I'm pulling as hard as I damn well _can_?!"

She is aware that tears have spilled out onto her cheeks as her heartbeat remains frantic and seemingly in her throat, and she waits for the blonde to snap back at her or to say something helpful, but Emma does neither as she looks up at where the rope snags the boughs above them and tightens her grip as she watches it inch slowly against the bark. She's afraid to look further down; knowing what she'll see.

She can feel it, though.

Feel it pattering down onto the dirt between her boots.

 _Fuck_...

"Regina, you have to get out from under there..."

She croaks, and the brunette's angry response becomes a sob as she looks from the crate to the blonde and sees the strain in the younger woman's face as she readjusts her footing with clear discomfort. From her position several feet away, she is unable to see the small splatter of blood forming in the mud, but she can tell from the way Emma seems at a loss for a lot to say that she's preoccupied and this alarms her greatly. Looking back up at the crate, she would guess that it must weigh a good thirty pounds at least, and she swallows nervously and admits

"Emma, I'm scared..."

"It's going to be alright, I'm not going to let go."

The blonde assures her, and her own voice is soft as she closes her eyes and tries to shut her mind off from her body. It's something she had once been good at- compartmentalising- but right now she's struggling, as with each tiny twitch of the rope her hands scream in response. She doesn't want to see the damage caused to her palms, but she can feel a telling wetness seeping down her wrists to dampen the cuffs of her sweater. At first, when the rope had rushed through her grip, she'd felt nothing but heat and adrenaline, but now that reality has struck each of them, she just tries with all of her will to keep the rope still and to empty her mind as heat has been replaced by white pain.

"Don't let go..."

Regina repeats, but she does so mostly out of nervousness, and she speaks mainly to herself. She knows that if Emma lets go it won't be by choice, but she prays that all of her concern is for nothing. She trusts the blonde implicitly, but she is not blind, and she can see both that the crate has lowered towards her another inch since the younger woman caught the rope, and that the Sheriff's complexion is alarmingly ashen. She worries that the way she has been forced to stand is hurting the blonde's hip, but doesn't know what to suggest that they do about it. She considers voicing that Emma just needs to keep her grip for the next half an hour or so- an hour at _most_ \- and that once she's back in control of her magic she will have herself free in no time.

She says nothing.

She knows that asking the younger woman to hold the crate for half an hour is asking the impossible, and that whatever she says is _useless_ in the grander scheme of things. Emma will hold the crate for as long as she is able to- truly, as long as she possibly can- but when that time is over... Well. She doesn't really want to think about that. Swallowing as she studies the younger woman for a moment longer, she finds herself out of things to say, and so returns her attention to the wooden trap encasing her leg; refusing to glance back up at the crate hovering over her.

Refusing to check if it has slipped an extra inch since she last checked.

* * *

"Where _are_ they?!"

Felix snaps, rounding on the two boys closest to him as they take in their surroundings with matching mystified expressions. He has half a mind to beat those idiot, gormless looks of incomprehension off each of their faces, but he takes a deep breath and brings himself back under control.

"You said that the pollen sacks were triggered. You said this happened no more than twenty _minutes_ before we came this way..."

He points out, stooping low so that he stands nose to nose with Ryan; a sallow faced boy with braces destined never to come off.

"They _were_! But they've got a _lead_ on us!"

He replies nervously, and Felix huffs as he takes in each of his small group in turn- nine boys in all- and shakes his head.

"Well, then which way did they _go_ , dummy?!"

He demands, and Ryan falters, turning to his neighbour, Ben, for help. Ben frowns as he scans the area yet again, before pointing to a set of tracks that lead out towards the main path and the drop beyond.

"Tracks stop here, they must have gone back on themselves after realising they'd been dosed. We saw no signs of trampling on our way here..."

"How sure are you?"

Felix barks, and Ben shrugs uncomfortably but replies boldly

"As sure as any of us _can_ be. There's a couple more spore bags that we put up around here, but none have been triggered, so that's my best guess... This area also has a couple of traps still working from when Pan suspected deserters a couple of years ago... I think most will have failed or fallen by now, but there's a chance the witches might have come across one... I wasn't there when they were put out though, and I couldn't tell you where they each are, just that we need to watch our step between here and the path... You know what happened to Luca when he walked away from the mainland down by the shore..."

Ryan shudders beside him at this, having been present when they'd found the poor kid hanging lifeless by the ankle after having stepped in a trap only to be yanked up suspended amongst the branches of a circle of trees. When they'd found him, most of his face had been gone, whether at the mercy of the elements or the wildlife it had been hard to say, but there had been fierce argument and objection over whose duty it would be to cut him down and deal with the remains.

"If Pan finds out those bitches gave us the slip when we were so close, we're going to _regret_ it... You best be _certain_ they went this way."

Felix warns, pointing at the visible line of broken foliage and scuffed leaves, and Ben swallows but nods; not sure what else to do. Taking this gesture as a cue to go on, Felix pushes each of the group through to walk the path created by the women and takes up the rear; oblivious to bright eyes that watch him intently from the shadows.

* * *

"Emma..."

Regina speaks up quietly, her fingers now hurting as well as her leg as she finally gives up trying to pry herself free.

"Mmm?"

The blonde replies eventually, and the Mayor looks over to see that she's sunk to her knees with her head bowed and her arms stretched high above her. She glances up to see that the crate has dropped a further couple of inches and clasps her hands together clammily in her lap.

"...I'm sorry for how everything ended before we left Storybrooke..."

"Yeah... Me too... I'm sorry about what happened to you... And I'm sorry I trusted Hook about the bean."

"We _all_ made mistakes that day... I'm... I'm sorry I was so _horrible_ towards you for so long, and for working so hard to try and force you to leave... And I'm sorry I got angry with you for trying to take charge after we washed up here. I suppose I was jealous that they all listened to you- they _always_ listen to you- and I-"

"-Regina, stop it."

"What?"

" _This_. Stop it. I know what you're doing."

"I'm-"

"-You're confessing; clearing the slate... You're telling me all this in case the crate falls."

"... I just-"

"-There's no need, Your Majesty. It's going to be fine. We're going to get you out of this, and then you're gonna regret saying all this junk... As soon as this is all over, you can go back to telling me how much better than me you are."

"... You _know_ I don't really think that."

Regina admonishes as her brow furrows uncertainly.

"Oh, I know... Doesn't mean you won't _tell_ me you are, though."

Emma points out, and the brunette lets out a short expulsion of air as the blonde chuckles quietly before musing gently

"And you _do_ think it, a little..."

"... Sometimes."

Regina admits with a wan smile. She sighs as she looks over to study the Sheriff; the younger woman's eyes once more closed as she strives to regulate her breathing. Her expression is strangely serene, but the brunette eyes the section of rope above pale hands and observes damning swatches of maroon. She bites her lip nervously and bows her head, brushing dirt from her dress pants with slow swipes of her fingers.

"...Do you want to know something funny about that bean?"

She asks softly, and there's a silence that follows before Emma replies quietly

"I don't know... Do I?"

The strain of her current task is evident in her tone, but the Mayor glances over and spies a small smile tugging at chapped lips.

"I was so _angry_ with you over that. I was so angry that you appeared to trust Hook when you hardly ever trust _anyone_... I suppose some of that anger was aptly placed, but at the time the feeling that spurned it on the most was jealousy... I figured it wasn't just me _teasing_ you anymore. I figured that you really _must_ like him to do something like that, and... It bothered me. I should probably have been angry with you over what happened for so _many_ logical reasons, but the truth of the matter was that I just didn't like the idea of you letting anyone else in that way, because I knew _why_ you were doing it and the emotion- even just a little of it- behind the gesture... I suppose that might be a rather insensitive admission now, after what happened... But, I-"

"-It's ok... That _is_ kind of funny."

"Yes, well... I will admit that my feelings towards you have changed drastically, Miss Swan, but I think I can say with perfect honesty that not _once_ since getting to know you have you made my life _easy_..."

"Yeah, well, likewise."

"I know... And I told you, I'm-"

"-Sorry, yeah, I know. I didn't mean it like that, though... You want to know something funny in return?"

"... I don't know..."

Regina frowns apprehensively, and the younger woman snickers exhaustedly before confessing

"Everyone was so convinced that I was bothered when Tamara came to town... I kind of was, I hate change and it was awkward, but that was the end of it. Neal was my past, and it was uncomfortable having to deal with that with the whole damn town for an audience... I wasn't that keen on Tamara, but it had nothing to do with her being engaged to Neal. I wasn't jealous..."

"Oh... I did wonder, but I believe you now if you say you weren't."

"Thanks, that makes you the _only_ one... I wasn't jealous about Tamara, but... When I was talking to Ruby a couple of days before shit really hit the fan, she told me she'd seen you up on the landing with Greg. She kind of eluded to the notion that maybe you weren't just speaking to him like he was some guy caught up in our town, but like you were... I dunno."

"...The way I behaved is complicated, but it served a purpose. It _certainly_ didn't mean anything."

"Yeah, well, I guess that should have been obvious. I mean, it made no _sense_ at all. The guy was Joe Average, and you're... Well, you know... Anyway, I was irritated. I never felt any of the things anyone accused me of feeling about Tamara and Neal, but when Ruby told me what she'd seen, I felt... I felt _agitated_ that a guy like _that_ could get someone like _you_. I knew I had no _reason_ to be bothering myself about it and that it was none of my business, but I just... I don't know. I was affronted."

Emma sighs, but she smiles thinly as she catches low laughter from the Mayor.

"You felt _you_ were a better option?"

The brunette teases quietly.

"I _know_ I'm a better option."

The blonde retorts boldly, and Regina smirks as she crosses her arms over her chest with a shiver as the bough above her creaks and the crate drops another inch.

"...I'm glad I came to talk to you that night it was raining. I'm glad you came back to the tent with me."

"Yeah, me too... Obviously."

The younger woman chuckles tearfully as she feels the rope slip a fraction further.

"I'm glad things went the way they did... I'm glad we figured things out between us."

"... Regina... I don't know how much longer I can hold on..."

Emma whispers, her hands shaking as she clenches her fists as tight as she can, but her palms are slick and raw, and her arms feel as though they have been filled with lead.

"You're doing well, dear, really well... I'm glad you came to find me when Tink took me. And I'm glad you never pretended that _wasn't_ what you were doing... I'm glad you at least _tried_ to bring up how you were feeling when I told you I merely thought of you as a friend. I'm glad you see me as more than that... I'm glad we finally talked."

"Regina, it's slipping..."

The blonde chokes as she grimaces; her eyes squeezed shut as the coarse fibres slide against open flesh.

"I'm glad I can finally see that you really _do_ know what you're doing when it comes to Henry, and that I don't constantly need to fret that you're going to mess up. I know you won't."

"Regina, I... _Fuck_.. I'm _trying_ , I really am, I-

"-I know. I know you're trying, and you're doing wonderfully... I'm _even_ glad for the last couple of days sharing pure hell, do you believe that?"

"Regina, please... I _can't_ , I _want_ to, but I-"

"-It's been so nice to work with someone because I've _wanted_ to, not just because it was the only sensible option. Very _little_ about you is _sensible_ , Saviour... That irks me something rotten some of the time, but I suppose I have come to find the charm in it. In you."

The blonde lets out a harsh sob as the rope slips and the crate drops a sudden foot and a half, causing her to cry out as rough hemp grazes against exposed muscle and bone.

"I love you, Emma."

Regina admits simply, closing her own eyes, and the Sheriff yelps as she finally loses her grip; yelling frantically

"I'm _sorry_! No! I-"

"- _Stop_!"

A voice interrupts her frenzied screaming sharply, and the brunette blinks her eyes open slowly before looking up at the knives once more pulled to a halt, now suspended only a couple of inches away from her face.


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I weighed up whether I wanted this little gang back together for a while, and decided that I think for the raid/ action it works well, so here you go :) Enjoy, and please review!

"Stop! Just hold on and help me!"

Tink repeats, snapping over her shoulder at Emma before adjusting her footing to maintain better control of the crate and calling over to the brunette

"Regina, stop _pulling_ ; it's a trick trap! The more you pull, the tighter it's going to get! Push your foot _down_ as hard as you can, the sides should ease up a little!"

"They... They are-"

"-ok, _now_ try prying with your fingers; just pull the sides apart a little so that you can ease your leg out! That's it! Now move! Go!"

Tinkerbell grunts as Regina finally manages to free herself and scramble clear of the crate's ominous shadow. Making sure that the Mayor lies a couple of feet out of harm's way, the fairy instructs breathlessly

"Ok, let go!"

Before following her own order and flinching as the heavy wood plummets to the ground; knives and glass making a dull, scraping sound as they impale deep into the earth.

"Oh my god... Oh my god..."

The brunette raises her hands to her face, covering her eyes; completely losing it after being held at knifepoint by fear, and pulling up into herself as she sits shaking on a carpet of dead leaves. Tink hurries over and touches her on the shoulder gently before crouching down and easing up the tattered remains of the darker woman's pant leg. Four straight incisions circle the brunette's calf and shin from where the trap's catches had snapped shut. The beginning signs of deep bruising are already starting to show, and Tinkerbell sighs as she places her hand on the Mayor's knee and asks solemnly

"Hey, can you move your foot? Can you try for me?"

"I can move it, I made sure a couple of times. It's not broken, it just hurts."

Regina replies, trying to pull herself together as she wipes at her cheeks; her breath shallow and uneven as she feels a little nauseous due to the terror so recently flooding her system. Tink nods in response before assuring quietly

"I can imagine, but at least you're okay."

Tinkerbell offers a tight smile which the brunette acknowledges but doesn't reciprocate, before she frowns and asks belatedly in a small voice

"Tink... How much did you hear?"

A pause at this as the fairy regards her pensively before shrugging and admitting

"Enough."

"What, and you figured you'd just hang back and wait 'til you got your fill?! She could have _died_! And you stood back and _waited_?!"

Emma snarls furiously from behind them, and Tink pushes herself up and rounds on the younger woman angrily; stalking up to her so that they stand nose to nose and snapping venomously

"I came _running_ , and you better be glad that I _did_! I risked a hell of a lot to come and find the two of you again, and I came _running_! Okay?! Sound just travels! It's a fucking _fact_!"

Tink yells, and Regina calls her out lividly as she remains sat in the dirt; currently too rattled to move.

"Don't you _dare_ use that tone with her! She's just spent god knows how long hanging on to that crate for dear life- _my_ life- and she's allowed to be a little hot-tempered!"

Tinkerbell thins her lips as she remains stood toe to toe with the Sheriff, but her stance becomes slowly more relaxed as she takes in dark patches of colour beneath the blonde's eyes and the unease written clearly across her face.

"I wasn't eavesdropping."

She assures quietly, before looking down and letting out a low breath as she takes in the bloodied mess of the younger woman's palms.

"You need to cover that up."

She instructs with a downward tug to the corner of her mouth; reaching for one of Emma's hands and shaking her head when the Sheriff flinches away from her. Regina frowns from her position on the floor, unable to see what the others are looking at as Tink stands in front of Emma, blocking her vision. She can read the tone though, and can tell that something's not quite right. Speaking up, she orders apprehensively

"Emma, come here, please."

The blonde does as she's told, stalking over and lowering herself down onto her haunches so that she can assess the Mayor worriedly.

"You sure you're okay? Your leg, it's-"

"-It will be fine, what were you two-"

But she trails off as she can see for herself what the matter is, and she clenches her jaw as she reaches for the younger woman's hands and holds them gingerly with their palms up to the stars.

"Oh, Emma..."

She murmurs, feeling a hell of a lot _more_ nauseous now as she is faced with raw meat and broken flesh which still wells dark crimson.

"I didn't catch the rope quick enough, it slipped through."

Emma mutters, and the brunette nods as she swallows before turning to Tink.

"There's some water in the bag there, can I have it?"

The fairy obliges, trudging over to the rucksack dropped in the chaos and pulling out the large canteen. She helps herself to a nervous sip before handing it over to the Mayor and taking a couple of steps back to give the others space.

"I'm just going to wash them out for now..."

Regina speaks quietly, glancing up apologetically before pouring water over the younger woman's hands and biting the inside of her cheek as Emma hisses with a grimace. Pulling at the blonde's sleeves so that they cover her injuries, she squeezes down gently with her own hands to try and stop the bleeding; looking into wide eyes and wet lashes with a sorrowful mutter of apology.

"We can't go on until the pollen's worn off, it's not safe. When it does, I'll wash those cuts out with something a little stronger. It will hurt, but it's the best I'm going to be able to do..."

She sighs, feeling just as helpless as she had before when trying to heal the younger woman's side.

"That's ok, so long as you can do you."

Emma replies with a nod down to the tattered mess of the brunette's dresspants, and Regina smiles thinly as she assures the younger woman that she will be just fine.

"The bruising will remain, but I can heal the lacerations. I think I might not bother with the pants themselves; I'm throwing this entire outfit away once we get home."

She informs gravely with a wrinkle to her nose, and the blonde grins as she agrees wholeheartedly

"You and me both. I might burn mine."

Before turning to Tink.

"How come you came back?"

She asks, and the fairy opens her mouth to snap at the younger woman that she should be thanking her that she _did_ , but she detects none of the former accusation or stoniness in Emma's tone, and so she simply sighs and perches on top of the crate.

"Because... I'm a fool, I guess."

"Be more specific."

Regina pushes, and bright eyes flash at her irritably, before Tinkerbell shrugs and accepts the bait.

"I went to go and find Matty, for lack of anything else to do-"

"-Is he alright?"

Emma interrupts, and Tink considers her thoughtfully as she still finds it curious that the prickly young woman following one of her oldest (and strangest!) friends around should know two other people that she's been close with while here on the island. Lost Boys no less...

"I don't know, I never got that far, but I would imagine so. There's a _reason_ that lot chose to set up camp where they did... No, I got lost in my thoughts when I was heading that way, thinking about how I kept wording it in my head: 'lack of anything else to do'... It's been _years_ now where my sole company has been a group of kids and a malevolent beast wearing a boy's face. I was angry with you, Regina, when I first found out you were here-"

"-Yes, you made that fairly clear, dear."

"I had _reason_ to be. _Several_ reasons. But, I got to thinking after leaving you two at the cove about your offer to come back with you... I'm not sure how _genuine_ that offer was, but there's no reason for me to stay around if I'm not welcome in whatever the name of your town was. But to get off this _island_... To find adult company and some sort of purpose... I would be a fool not to take that opportunity. Talking with you two over the last couple of days has made me see that, it's made me realise how much I miss it. I want to come back with you and sort myself out, and I guess I can't do that if you're both _dead_ , so... I'm here to help."

"Touching."

The brunette muses, although she hides the beginnings of a smirk.

"I didn't find Matty, but I found the others."

"You _did_?! How are they?"

Emma asks, eyes wide, and the fairy shrugs as she crosses her legs up on the crate.

"Worried sick about you, what _else_ would you think?"

"Well... I..."

'Did you tell them what we were doing?"

Regina speaks up, and she swallows as Tink gives her a weighted look before glancing slyly at the Sheriff.

"No... No, of course I didn't. It was _my_ idea that you keep that lot at bay until your boy was safe and Pan no longer posed a threat. I didn't tell them where you were or precisely what you were up to, I just said that I'd seen you both... I _had_ to, your mother was beside herself."

She informs Emma, and the blonde bites her lip awkwardly as her insides crawl with guilt.

"Was Hook still with them?"

The Mayor asks, and Tinkerbell nods affirmatively

"He's still with them. He told them the line you fed him, about how you two had seen something on the map and went to go check it out. They were naturally concerned that you hadn't then come back to the camp, but I told them that the island is big and that what you thought you'd seen was on the other side... I said I was sure you'd come back to get them for backup before you did anything _stupid_."

"Not the worst lie that's ever been told."

Regina sighs quietly, and Emma shrugs uncomfortably as she points out

"To be honest, if they've gotten to know me at all, they're idiots if they believe the last part."

"I have professed this theory for years."

The Mayor nods, and the younger woman shakes her head with a small grin while the fairy raises a brow but says nothing on the matter, simply proposing

"How's your magic now? Any difference?"

"Let me try."

Regina murmurs, letting go of the Sheriff's hands with a tick to her jaw as Emma hisses quietly, and she bends and straightens her fingers a few times before trying to access her power. It comes, but slowly, and the purple flicker she conjures from the well of her palm appears dull and ghostlike.

"It will do for now, but not for anything too challenging."

She warns, and Tinkerbell nods as she suggests

"That might not be an issue. I came by Felix- Pan's dogsbody- and his group of boys on the way to find you, and they were heading out into the island. If he's gone towards the mountains, Pan will likely have gone towards the coast. It's night, so they're hunting. We may have our best chance to infiltrate the treehouse if we give them another hour or so to clear some distance. Pan can fly, but the others can't. I say we give them a little more time and you sort yourselves out. Fix your leg, clean Emma's hands and find something to stop the bleeding."

"How sure are you about where they were going?"

The brunette asks, and Tink sighs and admits

"About fifty percent. I'm going off what I overheard, but it's foolish to trust anything you might hear or see on this island."

"We're starting to believe you on that one."

Emma nods, keeping her hands pressed together and doing her best to keep from showing the strain she feels from her voice.

"Quite."

Regina agrees, pulling back tattered material and assessing the incisions to her shin pensively. She works slowly; holding her hand out flat over bloodied marks and erasing their tracks through soft flesh. The blonde watches on, mesmerised, as does the fairy.

"How does it feel now?"

Emma asks when she's done, and the Mayor flexes her ankle gingerly and rubs at the remaining dark thunder blossoming up her leg.

"Sore, but manageable... Ok, let me see your hands."

The younger woman obeys, using her teeth to pull back the dark wool covering her fingers and displaying her palms out to the brunette. Her arms tremble slightly, and Regina wonders if it's because of the pain she feels or because of the pain she knows is coming once crude gashes are doused with alcohol. She decides neither answer will make her all that happy, and so she simply rests her hand over the canteen and closes her eyes as she turns water to strong smelling disinfectant. She can feel a deep fatigue sinking its claws into her as she does so, and silently hopes that an hour to recuperate is going to be enough. She's beginning to wonder if she's still suffering from the effects of her last few hours in Storybrooke, as it is unusual for her to find it this hard to control and maintain her power even when hungry or ill rested. There had been too much going on to really sit and theorise before, but this notion is seeming more and more likely as time goes on, and she frowns as she hopes she's not going to have to share her suspicions and concerns. She knows that if she does so, Emma might do something stupid, and as much as this assumption irks her something rotten, she supposes the blonde could be forgiven, as she suspects she would do something equally irrational if the tables were turned.

They're getting down to the wire now, and there really don't need to be any more spanners thrown into the works.

"Hold still."

She instructs quietly, and the Sheriff nods as she closes her eyes, tensing up expectantly and unable to bite back a high bark as the brunette douses her wounds as quickly as she can.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Regina mutters unhappily, and the younger woman's breath is shallow and fast as she chokes

"It's okay. It's all good."

"It's _done_ now at least..."

Regina soothes as she pulls off her coat, and she shucks up her sweater underneath before catching green eyes wet with tears studying her curiously. Sighing, she uses what little power she can muster to create a small rip in her shirt, before tearing at the fabric roughly to create a long strip to use as a dressing.

"I would appreciate it if you could try a little _harder_ to stay in one piece from now on, dear, only I'm going to begin running out of clothes at this rate."

"That's ok, I don't mind."

Emma grins, before freezing and casting a caged glance at Tink who stares back at her knowingly. Lowering her head with her cheeks flushing darkly, the younger woman watches as Regina wraps up her hands carefully, the small tug to the brunette's lips suggesting she'd found the Sheriff's accidental quip rather amusing.

"I'm going to wind the last bit quite tight to keep it in place, okay?"

"...Okay..."

Emma agrees, and she holds her breath as the Mayor pulls tightly on her makeshift bandaging before tucking the ends under neatly.

"Okay?... Emma?"

"...I need to go pee."

The blonde informs the others once she trusts herself to speak again, and she pushes herself up shakily and stumbles a little as she strives to maintain her composure while still in front of the others.

"Just don't step in any traps."

Tinkerbell warns from her perch atop the deadly crate, and Emma throws her a dark glare- somewhat ruined by her pallor- and hisses

"If I could give you the middle finger without retching right now, I would."

Tink grins in response and watches the Sheriff leave off into the bushes, before turning to Regina and offering her a loaded look.

"What?"

The brunette demands icily.

"You _know_ what."


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The plan was to write my 4 in-progress fics in a fair cycle, but... I'd been thinking about this one on my drive down south yesterday so decided to fuck the system :) Sorry it's taking a little while to get to the action, but it seemed like a decent place to slip this conversation in, hopefully it works. Hope you enjoy, and please review! 

" _What?"_

 _"You_ know _what."_

Tinkerbell raises a brow pointedly, and the brunette looks away with a frown.

"Don't..."

She appeals, but the fairy takes no notice and shrugs as she admits

"I'm surprised, I'll give you that... This island makes people do some strange things, but I never would have pegged the two of you as going together."

"Yes, well, things aren't quite the same in my world."

Regina states woodenly, and Tink looks momentarily confused before shaking her head.

"I didn't mean it that way, I meant more because I  _know_  you. Maybe not like I once did, but there's a part of me that's still pretty good at picking up on stuff and I can read you well enough... She's nothing like you."

"We share more similarities than you might think, not that it's any of your business."

The Mayor replies waspishly.

"Again, not what I meant. You have a way about you, you always have done, and that woman completely contradicts it. She's everything you can't stand; brash, sarcastic, moody, rough."

"She's not so rough."

"She's rough around the edges."

The fairy insists, and Regina studies the ruined fabric of her pants pensively so as to avoid looking at the blonde. She doesn't want to be having this conversation, but what had been overheard can't be taken back, and she suspects that it might be better if  _she_  do some damage control before Emma decides to take the task upon herself.

"Maybe she is... Maybe she's  _all_  those things that you said, but I don't mind as much with Emma as I would with anyone else. Besides, you've listed only the qualities I might find unappealing, but there are plenty of others that make up for them."

"I'm sure there are."

Tink nods, and the brunette is unable to tell if she's smirking or not as the blonde looks momentarily away to check their surroundings.

"...It's not the island."

Regina continues quietly, and Tinkerbell looks back at her, surprised, and asks

"What do you mean?"

"You said the island makes people do strange things... That's not what's happened here. Things have been complicated between myself and Emma for a long time, it's just that neither of us wanted to look too deeply into why that was. This isn't... It isn't some strange fling, it's..."

"Love."

"That's...It's... "

"What you said."

Tink points out, and the Mayor sighs as she looks up at the fairy and splays her palms as if in surrender.

"You hadn't  _told_  her though, had you? Not before. You told her now because you thought it would be your last chance to do so, but that's the first she's heard of it."

Tinkerbell muses, and the brunette frowns as she admits

"I didn't even know it  _myself_  until the moment pulled it out of me. Not on a fully conscious level."

"Well, you've  _said_  it now... It's out there."

Tinkerbell states softly, and Regina glowers at her, hissing

"Yes, thank you, I'm  _aware_  of this. Now can we stop discussing it?! If you've not picked up on it by now, Miss Swan isn't exactly the most forthcoming of people, and would most likely prefer we let the matter lie."

"She might well do, but I'd say we're safe on that count for now. She'll be a little while, I'd reckon."

"She's gone off to relieve herself, not-"

"-No, she's gone to throw up."

The fairy shakes her head with a wry smile. Sighing when the darker woman frowns skeptically, she gestures towards the gap in the undergrowth Emma had left through.

"She was close to tears, and in a lot of pain... She's wandered off quite some distance when she'd felt no need to do so back at the cave. She's gone to collect herself and she doesn't want us to be a part of that."

"You sound so sure."

Regina mutters, narrowing her eyes as it's certainly news to  _her_  that Tink has found any grasp of the younger woman, other than doing her own part to wind the Sheriff up. The blonde shrugs and confides

"That's because I am. I've spent years now living with her kind; sure they're kids, but they share the same makeup. Just because she hasn't offered me a friendly embrace and seal of approval doesn't mean I can't read her just as well as I might read you. It was once my  _job_ , remember? And I know her sort better than you might think... Has the way she's bristled towards me irritated me? Sure. But I am in no way surprised, nor do I take it to heart. I've received a similar welcome from some of the older boys when they first came to the island, and it's not arrogance that leads me to say it's unlikely to be a problem on  _my_  part that coaxes such resistance from them, but merely the fact that I'm a stranger. With Emma, I guess I inevitably had somewhat of a black mark against my name seeing as our first introduction wasn't the most cordial..."

Tinkerbell sighs, but there's a slight tug to her lips, and the brunette rolls her eyes but agrees

"I suppose not... And you would have had a black mark against you either way. You're the fairy sidekick in a children's movie to her. I doubt you would have been a  _favourite_  of hers."

"That sounds quite likely."

The blonde grins, still finding the revelation that a whole other world knows who she is a lot to take in, but supposing it's not the strangest thing she's found out recently. Back on topic, she studies the brunette thoughtfully.

"I knew there was something going on between the two of you, I just wouldn't have guessed that it was what you've said it is. I thought you were worried after her scuffle with Hook and that your concern was giving you mixed feelings given who she actually is."

"Oh, I've had to overcome who Miss Swan is, and how I might benefit from- yet ultimately wish to avoid- her demise for quite some time now."

Regina sighs, quickly glancing towards the gap in the undergrowth before regarding the fairy with troubled eyes and explaining quietly

"It wasn't a  _scuffle_ , Tink… Don't you dare tell her that I told you, but I can't allow you to keep calling it that."

"Well, I know, Hook hurt her, but-"

"-He did, but that's not the worst of it... I told you that I was losing the end of my patience with the pathetic flirting going on between those two? Well, most of my sniping at her over it was to garner the predictable response of raising her hackles. It irritated her something rotten, and so it became a mode of amusement for me to push her about it… I think she might have found the pirate's affection mildly endearing, but that's if I'm being kind. I don't believe it was reciprocated past celibate  _boredom_  at any point however, not after speaking to her about it while here and discussing Neal. I felt bad about teasing her once she'd actually opened up a little, but we pushed it aside. We silently dubbed the case closed, but… You said that the Shadow works by making those it calls a host go after what they want…"

"At any cost."

Tink nods, her lips thin as she looks down at the darker woman uneasily.

"Hook went for Emma… I caught him at it and put a stop to it, but he went for her, and he had one very clear intent in mind… What he did to her side, that was worrying and terrible, but it was an accident. I don't believe he  _meant_  to hurt her, but I also don't believe he was in a state to care if he injured her as collateral to achieving his… Objective… I'm telling you this because I know you find her to be difficult, and in a lot of ways she is, but she wasn't being  _difficult_  in wanting to get away from the others that night we went to the cave. I'm telling you because, while there was once a time I would have done anything I could  _think_  of to slander her name, I want you to understand what could have happened, because if you're going to go into this with us, I don't want it to come up again. I don't want you to presume she's being tetchy or unhelpful, and I don't want a flippant comment to cause her pain. I don't want  _anything_  to cause her pain. I also want you to understand my  _own_  feelings a little… There's a lot of bad blood between us, moth, but you were once a friend, and you've heard what you've heard... I can despise that fact or embrace it. Given that we're not out of hot water yet, I've decided to do the latter. I'm tired… I'm  _so_  tired. Things before we left our land were hard, especially on myself. That was partially my fault, but I suffered for my mistakes physically and mentally. I'm scared. We both are… I have no problem with you coming back with us- hell, it seems we're already taking back a small collection of  _children_  with us, thanks to Miss Swan, so why not  _add_  to that madness- just… Help us get home in one piece. We can figure everything else out when we get back, but if in the mean time things look like they're down to the wire, I want you to tell me that you'll do for Emma what you did for me just now."

"...I did very little apart from impart some common sense and fortunate knowledge of how things work on this island… It's not as though if the tables had been turned I would have let the crate just  _drop_  on top of her."

"I know, but-"

"-but I know what you meant… Look, I'm no better at this kind of conversation than you are, but understand this; I  _failed_  in making you happy in love once before when it was my duty to do so. I'm going to just go ahead and ignore the fact that it was entirely  _your_  fault, and that your foolishness ruined my life, for the sake of continuing the pleasant vibe between us right now-"

"-Tink-"

"-You pretty much  _owe_  me a chance to make it work this time."

The fairy interrupts with a thin smile, and dark eyes glitter as the Mayor studies her shrewdly, before Regina reciprocates with her own small smirk in return.

"You know, you two would  _actually_  get on fairly well if you'd just-"

But she stills as they catch the telling crack of trampled twigs. Watching as Emma emerges from the bushes, the brunette eyes her warily, trying to detect if any of her conversation with Tink has gone overheard.

"Sorry. Got lost."

The blonde explains, fairly unconvincingly, and Regina flashes a glance at the fairy to see if she's ready to shoot a barb at the Sheriff's lame defence of her absence, but Tink simply allows her a sly grin.

"I see."

The Mayor replies, brown eyes meeting green as Emma offers her a wary smile, and the darker woman responds with much the same as she takes in chalky features and the way Emma keeps her hands loosely fisted at her sides.

_I'm thankful, and I'm sorry, dear, and I suppose we really ought to talk..._

"When do you think we should get going?"

The younger woman asks, casting her gaze up to the stars, and Tinkerbell yawns as she stretches and speaks up

"I guess we've left it long enough if Regina's feeling up to heading off-"

"-I'm fine."

"Well, then I guess now's as good a time as any. I'll take the lead and scout ahead a bit; you guys follow behind... If there's any more of those pollen traps ready to go off, they won't effect me."

The fairy proposes, and the brunette nods, wondering if this is the real reason behind Tink's suggestion, or if she's thinking along similar lines as she is herself and is attempting to offer them some space.

"Wait for us at the edge of the forest, we'll go on from there together."

She instructs as she pushes herself up and tests her weight on her foot. Her ankle throbs miserably, and she's fairly certain she will be stuck with a limp for a day or two, but she considers this to be ultimately a fairly generous cross to bear from what could have been.

"We'll regroup when the treehouse is in sight."

Tinkerbell agrees, and she gives the others a small nod before taking up the lead and stalking into the shadows.

"Are you okay?"

Emma asks once the fairy slips from view, and she gestures down at the brunette's leg uncertainly.

"I'll manage. What about you?"

"Same."

The blonde nods as they turn to leave, and the Mayor bites her lip as she glances periodically at her companion, trying to decide how best to approach what needs to be said.

"Emma... I-"

"-Regina, can I ask you something?... About what you... About what you said?"


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Another one of those 'I had absolutely no idea what was gonna come out until I typed it' chapters, but I decided to go with it, and this is what ended up happening. Hope you enjoy, and please review :)

" _Regina, can I ask you something?... About what what you... About what you said?"_

Emma clenches her jaw nervously as she waits for a response, looking straight ahead of them in order to avoid the brunette's gaze. Regina sighs with a small nod; relieved that she hasn't had to force the subject, but wary as to what the blonde might want to know.

"I suppose so."

She replies quietly, and when silence prevails, she looks over at the younger woman pensively.

"What did you want to know?"

She pushes gently, and the Sheriff appears to gather her nerves before meeting the darker woman's gaze and asking in an unusually shy voice

"Well... Did you mean it?"

"... Maybe... What if I did?"

Regina muses softly, aware that she can feel every heartbeat as the air seems thick with tension between them.

"Well, I... I mean... That would be... That would be okay."

Emma struggles to find words to suit the magnitude of the Mayor's admission, and when the brunette frowns and snaps at her, she grins apologetically.

"It would be ' _okay_ '?!"

"Well, yeah!"

"Miss Swan, I-"

"-I mean... At least then we're in the same _boat_ , you know?"

The blonde elaborates, and dark eyes widen as Regina allows this to sink in, studying Emma out of the corner of her eye as they trudge on through the forest. They do so slowly, and with every other step she winces slightly as her ankle throbs and her leg hurts, but the younger woman matches her pace without comment; slowing whenever she does seamlessly.

"Is that so?"

"... Yeah."

"I see."

The Mayor nods with a small smile, and Emma looks down at the makeshift bandaging wrapped around her hands and continues quietly

"Did you want me to actually _say_ it?"

"... If it were easy for you, you would have done so rather than ask."

Regina replies thoughtfully, and she watches as the blonde squirms uncomfortably and pushes quietly

"Have you _ever_ said it? To someone besides Henry?"

"My mom..."

"Not counting the idiots... Someone like me."

"I don't know _anyone_ else like you, Regina."

"You know what I meant, don't-"

"-I wasn't... It was a compliment."

"Oh."

"Yeah... And yes, once."

"Just once?"

"Well... Four times that I actually said it, but to the same person."

"Neal?"

"Yeah."

"... You remember the exact amount of times you said it?"

Regina frowns, both amused and a little sorrowful. Emma shrugs, regarding her solemnly

"It's not something I ever said lightly."

"No... I can understand that... I've had _many_ people declare their love for me-"

"-alright, no need to show off-"

"-I was the Queen! I _demanded_ it whether they wanted to give it gladly or not... I offered my own rather more sparingly."

"Daniel?"

"Of course, although I couldn't tell you how many _times_ I told him so... Enough to make someone like yourself feel really quite nauseous I would suspect."

She smiles sadly, and Emma nods but seems distracted as she appears to struggle to find something to say. Something that will plug the void she wants to fill with words that just won't come out. Regina glances at her and sighs, stepping over a tangled mess of skeletal branches while clutching the younger woman's arm for assistance. Emma helps her over without comment; waiting patiently to check that she's found her balance before continuing on at a slow pace to suit her comapion's.

"You and I are different."

Regina speaks up quietly, and when green eyes find hers uncomfortably, she shrugs.

"Love came easily to me as a child. I had my own issues with my mother, but until Daniel's death, love was never tainted for me. I loved him fiercely, and while it killed me when he died, I blamed your mother, not Daniel; he didn't let me _down_... For you I know it wasn't like that. For you I know that it's only _now_ that love of any variety comes without an overwhelming sense of risk. It's only now that it's safe... Many things about you irk me, but your refusal to say things just for the sake of it isn't one of them. You can be impolitely frank, Miss Swan, and at times a little cruel."

"I-"

"-Oh, not to me. You've barked at me and bared your teeth in the past, but you've never bitten me with intent to inject any venom. That said, I don't believe you mean to do it to anybody. But I've watched you now with several of the fools who have taken a liking to you, and you don't make it easy for them... I suppose I should somewhat include myself in that, although my motives might have been skewed and confused at the time."

"...Well, I don't go frolicking through fields exclaiming devotion, no."

Emma replies stiffly, and the brunette raises a brow as she confides silkily

"That was _one_ illustration on _one_ page, dear. I was a little less _sickening_ than the first chapters of the book might lead you to believe."

"Yeah?

"Yes. I mean, I'm sure I held no candle to _your_ sullen ways as a youth, but give me at least a _little_ credit... Most of my declarations were done in private."

The darker woman finishes primly, and Emma smirks as she mutters

"I'll bet they were..."

"I was _seventeen!"_

Regina rolls her eyes.

"So was I."

The blonde points out, and the Mayor considers this pensively before looking down, shaking her head.

"I know... I've bullied you for it several times, but I do confess that I sometimes forget how young you were, dear."

"It's okay... I guess I never really thought about that in your case, either... It's a shitty age, isn't it?"

"Seventeen? Young adulthood? Oh, I shouldn't say that's neccesarily true... We just suffered our bouts of bad luck."

"Maybe... Although I couldn't tell you I enjoyed the lead up, either. If it's bad luck then... Never mind."

The blonde shakes her head with a wry smile, and Regina raises a brow as she pushes for an answer.

"No, go on, what were you going to say?"

"I was going to say that if it was bad luck, I must have been cursed."

"I see...I-"

"-I didn't mean that as a dig at you; I can blame you for some of it, but not all... It just often feels like bad luck and I are practically _soulmates_. We're well acquainted."

"You've had your share of it, as have I... But maybe that's all set to change. It has been lately, has it not?"

"Bold words for that limp you're rocking... And I _do_ believe I started this little trip with a great deal more blood _inside_ my body."

"You also started it with my reluctant tolerance at best... If I'm being _kind_."

"I guess there is that."

Emma smiles, and the Mayor smirks back; her complexion ashen and features drawn, and she drinks in the gash across the blonde's cheek and tired eyes. Glancing down at the strips of her shirt that bind the younger woman's hands, she sighs.

"I meant what I said, Emma. This isn't the first time you've been good to me, and it's not something I've had all too much expericence with, at least not for a very long time. I know I'm to blame for most of that, but it's hard sometimes living with the consequences of choices made literally a lifetime ago... I said what I said because I believed that crate was going to drop, but _you_ looked at _me_ the way that you did because you believed it would, too. You don't have to say a few little words for me to know-"

But she breaks off as the blonde turns to face her, hooking her arm around slender shoulders to pull the darker woman into her. What starts as a rough crashing of lips becomes slower- deeper- and by the time she pulls back just enough to whisper in the brunette's ear, the latter's hands have found her waist.

"I love you."

Emma murmurs beneath her breath, one bandaged hand lost in dark tresses as she guides parted lips back to her own and tastes Regina's surprise with a small smirk. Finally, she steps away, leaving the brunette stood stunned as she raises her fingers to her lips. Dark eyes find her own intently, and the blonde raises her jaw as though daring the Mayor to question her admission, before turning heel and stalking off into the undergrowth.

"Come on, I can see Tink stopped up ahead."


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry about the wait, I have been trying to finish one of my own stories which I've set a deadline for 23rd Oct for, so that's been taking up most of my time :( I got this one done over a couple of mornings before work though, so hope it all ties together nicely :) Reviews would be awesome! Thanks for reading :)

Pushing through the tangled thicket, Regina and Emma end up standing either side of Tink as the fairy waits for them with her gaze cast up at the treehouse that towers beneath the moon.

"I make the distance between the edge of the undergrowth and the doorway to be forty metres or so, give or take."

Tink muses, politely ignoring the lingering electricity she can feel sparking between the others.

Emma nods as she assesses the distance for herself dubiously, coming to the conclusion that Tinkerbell is probably right, but that forty metres currently looks like about four miles.

"So what do you suggest? I mean, I guess we could just sprint for it, but-"

"No," the fairy shakes her head, "even if we could, Regina can't, not with her leg like that. There's lookouts, too, up in the rocks. You go sprinting for the door and you're dead before you get there, you might just not know it yet."

The brunette purses her lips as it's on the tip of her tongue to scold Tink for being overly dramatic, but she supposes by now that she has to accept that the fairy's warnings might hold some truth.

"What about the eggs?"

She asks, gesturing towards the bag slung over Emma's shoulder, but the Sheriff shakes her head as she adjusts the strap.

"We don't have many, and Matty didn't say how big a space the smoke would cover. If we break them out here, what if it just gets carried off by the wind?"

"I agree, you're better off using those inside."

Tinkerbell sighs, before turning to the others.

"When I saw Henry, he was right at the top, in the games room. There are five floors in all and the stairs run up through the centre of the tree."

"How the hell do we get up _there_ without someone seeing us, then?"

Emma frowns, and Tinkerbell shakes her head as she splays her palms in a gesture of uncertainty.

"It depends. How good's your magic?"

The fairy asks, and the younger woman opens her mouth to reply, but Regina cuts in wearily.

"It's amateur at best."

"I thought you said I was _powerful_?"

The Sheriff prickles visibly as the others look at her, but the brunette simply nods as she elaborates

"You are. You have great potential, but barely any practice. Now's not the time to sit the final test; you've done none of the homework."

"But, I-"

"-Emma, please... Don't argue with me on this. We've all vowed to watch out for each other, and right now that means me telling you that you're not ready for this. I'm not saying you'd be _unable_ to use your magic to the ability we need you to, I'm saying that if you _were_ unable to, I would feel very badly about not putting a stop to it."

"Fine."

The younger woman huffs irritably, and the fairy turns to Regina and sighs

"I don't know if you're in good enough shape to cover both of you..."

"Why? What is it you're suggesting?"

"Essentially; identity theft."

"How so?"

"Well, I see no way of all three of us approaching the door without being seen, so maybe we should go about this an entirely different way. Pan will have taken most of his favoured disciples out on his hunt for the two of you. Felix will have had second pick-"

"-so he's left his weakest behind to guard the treehouse. To watch over Henry?"

Emma interrupts, her expression suggesting she doesn't buy this theory, and to her surprise, the fairy grins.

"Not exactly. I did _purposefully_ use the term 'most of'. He's left Tobias in charge of Henry. Tobi's not the brightest, but he's mean."

"Oh."

Regina sighs, her face falling, and Tink shakes her head as she assures

"He won't harm Henry, don't worry. He was fine with him when I saw them. I just meant that he's a surly little git who's quite looking forward to the public execution of the two of you."

"Ah, _much_ better."

The Sheriff grumbles, but when Tink replies cattily that she can see some of the appeal, Emma simply rolls her eyes.

"So what were you thinking?"

The Mayor asks with a frown, keeping her gaze on the treehouse and the rocks that surround it with a nervous tick to her jaw.

"What if I take you over there _openly_ , as my captives?"

"But you said-"

"-Not ' _you_ ' you... No, if I do that, you guys are dead."

"So what do you mean?"

Regina asks uncertainly.

"What if I were to bring them Matty and one of the others? Whichever one you can picture most clearly and think you can use for a disguise."

"You think that will work?"

Emma frowns, but she doesn't sound argumentative, and Tink shrugs as she admits

"It might do, but I'm kind of clutching at straws here. I'm not sure I can see any better options, but please speak up if you have any."

"I didn't mean it like that, I meant-"

"-I know. And I didn't mean that as a challenge, I meant it hopefully, as I honestly would _love_ one of you to throw a better idea my way..."

Silence as Regina and Emma share a glance, but neither has anything else to offer, and the fairy sighs as she elaborates on her plan.

"Pan's too busy seeking out the two of you to expend much energy tracking down Matty and his lot. Once this is all over- if it were to go the way Pan wills it- he'd make a point of hunting those boys down. They're not in the immediate danger you two are, but they have a lot to answer for. If I can approach the camp with two of those boys in tow, I will more than likely be able to make it to the door unharmed. It will build their trust in me, and keep the two of you safe for the time being. The other boys know Matty and his friends so they're not about to do anything stupid like shoot on sight."

An uncomfortable silence at this, and when the Sheriff offers her a weighted look, Tink nods as she answers the unspoken question hanging in the air

"It could happen... You've seen for yourselves that they're armed. This isn't child's play, we've already discussed that. We just happen to be playing with children."

"So what happens once we get inside? If we're your captives, won't they want to hold us somewhere?"

Emma asks, and the fairy points the the bag slung over her shoulder.

"Best bet would be to use one of the eggs Matty gave you. I don't know what they'll do with you once we get to the door, and I can't argue your case without arousing suspicion. Once we're inside, I'd say you drop one of those and try to make your way upstairs through the smoke. It's hardly ideal, but at least in the confines of the treehouse you're only going to be faced with hand to hand combat. If we cross the stretch between here and the door, we risk taking an arrow or a hard rock throw. Pan wants you alive, but that doesn't mean his lookouts won't aim for the legs in an attempt to capture you."

"Aren't children _delightful_?"

The Sheriff grumbles beneath her breath, and Regina allows a tight smile before turning to Tink and nodding her affirmation.

"Alright. I suppose that's as good a plan as any... Let's just hope it works."

"Are you sure you can keep the both of you cloaked until I get you inside?"

The fairy asks seriously, recalling what the brunette had told her of her ordeal before leaving her home town, but she is met with determination and fire in dark eyes, and so she says no more on the matter. She supposes there's little point; they've come down to the wire, and failing now is not really an option open for discussion.

"Emma, give me the bag."

Regina orders with her hand held out, and when the blonde frowns, she reaches over to slip it from the younger woman's shoulder herself.

"Your hands are injured, it's better if I drop the egg."

She points out, readying herself for argument, and she catches a familiar, steely glint in the Sheriff's eye as she resents having her ability questioned, but when she meets this grit with a warning glance of her own, Emma holds out her arm to allow the bag to be slipped off without comment.

"Actually, you're better off giving one of the eggs to me."

Tinkerbell interjects, and when the others look at her uncertainly, she elaborates as though speaking to fools

"You're my captives... I'm going to have to at least tie you up a little."

Regina narrows her eyes- memories of Tink binding her wrists back in the cave still leaving a sour taste in her mouth- and Emma doesn't seem much more convinced as she studies the fairy reproachfully.

"There's a lot riding on this..."

She mutters.

"I know. For myself as well as the two of you. If you can't trust me, then you might as well forget this whole plan."

Tink warns, and the Sheriff sighs as she assures quietly

"We trust you, it's just... Not something either of us have ever made a habit of doing."

Regina nods in agreement, privately thinking that this is a rather grandiose understatement.

"And it's not a _plan_."

Emma continues

"What do you mean?"

"It's an operation."

The brunette smiles. Tink looks from one to the other, not sure what she's missing, but accepts this statement with a mystified expression.

"Fine, it's an operation. One you both have to _trust_ me for."

"We can do that."

"Yeah. Okay."

Regina and Emma nod, and Tink places her hands on her hips as they seem set to take action.

"Okay then, Regina, you best do your part first before I bind you, or it's going to be too tight."

"What are you going to use to bind us?"

The brunette asks dubiously, and the fairy points to a tree behind them where thick vines shroud the bark.

"Makeshift ties."

"I'm getting an unsettling sense of deja vu."

Regina sighs reluctantly, and the fairy grins as she gestures towards Emma

"Well, your saviour's here, so you should be fine."

Pale cheeks blush scarlet, and the Sheriff turns to the brunette and tells her gruffly to get on with it. The Mayor nods, closing her eyes as she tries to conjure up a mental picture of Matty and the tall boy who had told them to be careful about handing the Illiard eggs; recalling his lanky build and the bump in his nose.

"Okay, I think I'm ready."

She murmurs, hoping that this is the truth as she can feel a deep wave of exhaustion hit her as soon as she tries to access her power. Speaking to Emma, she gets ready to cast her spell.

"Don't freak out, okay dear? It will feel strange for a moment, but that should soon wear off."

She warns, before cloaking both herself and the blonde in the guise of the boys. She catches Emma cursing beneath her breath and smirks, her tongue finding the gap in Matty's teeth. Opening her eyes, she looks from the tall boy stood looking rather traumatised opposite her, before glancing at Tink who now stands a head taller than her with a wide smile.

"I know this isn't the time for it, but that _is_ pretty cool."

The fairy grins, and Emma nods, running her hand through short hair before pulling back with a wince.

"Ouch."

She grimaces, looking down at her palms; smaller and specked with freckles, but carrying the deep cuts she'd born in her true form.

"Here."

Tink offers, moving behind the Sheriff and tugging roughly at the dirty shirt she now wears.

"Hey!"

Emma snaps as the fairy rips several strips of fabric away to leave the small of the blonde's back- now stippled with orange freckles- exposed, before dousing them with the remaining alcohol from the thermos in the bag.

"Regina's should reappear when you switch back. She didn't conjure you any bindings because George wasn't wearing any."

Tinkerbell advises as she wraps the younger woman's hands, and Regina frowns, causing Matty's face to crumple.

"I didn't realise her hands would still be torn up like that."

"Any injuries will affect your guise. It's alright, though, the fact that both of you have been in the wars actually plays to our story quite nicely."

Tinkerbell assures, pointing down at the brunette's calf- now exposed beneath a pair of shorts- where a thick circle of bruises marr the flesh.

"This is crazy."

Emma advises quietly, and Tink nods as she gestures for the others to hold out their hands so that she can loop the vine she's pulled from the tree around young wrists and walk with them strung up behind her.

"Okay. Are you two ready?"

She asks, her voice rife with nerves as she drops her end of the vine in favour of pulling one of the Illiard eggs carefully from its case and slips it into her pocket.

"We're going to have to be."

Regina replies, casting a glance up at Emma who regards her warily with hazel eyes before nodding in agreement.

"Good. Then let's do this."

Tink swallows, picking up the vine and wrapping it tightly around her hand.

"Come on."

She murmurs, tugging lightly and leading the others out into the open.


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for leaving these guys hanging! I should really be writing something else right now, but I missed you all, and I wanted something fun to do tonight :) I've really been missing having as much (aka ANY) time to write fanfic, and any reviews would be so hugely appreciated to get me through the boredom of work and stress of deadline writing. I hope you enjoy, and I have the next chapter all planned out (unusual for me!) so hope to continue this one very soon! :)

Walking slowly behind Tink, Regina feels her heart- Matty's heart- hammering in her throat as they step out into the open. She doesn't need the fairy's occasional tug at the vines wrapped around her wrists to make it look like she's struggling; she truly is. Her leg aches, sending a cruel splinter of pain shooting up her shin bone every time she puts weight on it, and the fear that laces her blood creates a nauseating cocktail. Her eyes flicker nervously up to the rocks towering over the clearing as she spies glimpses of movement, or at least imagines she does.

She's scared.

And yet all of this is currently secondary to the deep and almost overwhelming sense of exhaustion threatening to pull her under its waves. She knows if she allows that to happen, it will keep her there.

_You were wrong, you can't do this. You're in no fit state to be doing this._

She reprimands that tired voice angrily, telling it to hush, but she is unable to completely eradicate the sense of doubt it leaves lingering in her mind.

Each step is an endeavour of pain; each step aches.

Everything aches.

And with that ache comes a sense of fragility. With each wave of discomfort, she feels a momentary loss of grip over the power that she's using to shroud the blonde and herself, similar to driving over a speed bump too fast, or the preliminary lurch of an old elevator.

_Get a grip._

_Keep your grip._

She clenches her jaw and repeats this little mantra silently in her head, training her gaze on the rough stitching marching up the centre of the fairy's dress so as to give herself something to focus on.

So as to keep from looking at how far they still have to go.

She can hear movement from either side now, and the hushed murmur of voices. Can hear the slow creak of a door and the hollow twang of bows being pulled back. The clinked whisper of arrows being drawn.

"Halt! Tinkerbell! What's the meaning of this?"

A voice lacking in years but brimming with hostility barks, and she comes to a stop as she feels the fairy do the same. She waits as Tink demands for Tobias to come down, claiming she wishes to speak to whoever's in charge.

_Smart. Good, that's smart._

Behind her, she can hear Emma breathing; short and shallow. She wonders if the younger woman can feel the ominous fluttering of strength in her power, and imagines the apprehensive hitch to that quiet breath speaks volumes as exhaustion washes over her in another sickening wave.

_It's alright, dear. It's alright, I can keep my head above water, I promise. I can hold on._

Hold on, just as Emma had held on to the rope.

She closes her eyes- missing what Tink says as she greets Tobias and his cronies who emerge from the treehouse- as her mind conjures up the image of the blonde's hands. The flesh of her palms had been ruined, not just cut up and raw, but _ruined._ Deep cuts exposing tissue and various textures she doesn't need a working knowledge of medicine to know shouldn't be visible.

 _"I do believe I started this little trip with a great deal more blood_ inside _my body."_

Dark humour on the younger woman's part, but very true, and the brunette swallows as the prey-like flutter of breath on the back of her neck continues, and she remembers the very _real_ fear that had surprised her at the time when Emma had pulled away her sweater to reveal the deep gouge to her side. The very _real_ fear she'd felt when she'd been awoken by the blonde tossing and turning in the dark trying to get warm when recovering in the cave; finding her cold- _so_ cold- and understanding suddenly that a chance existed that things might not all end up alright. Understanding that they might truly be in real trouble.

Another wave of exhaustion, and she feels herself swaying slightly on her feet as she remembers the terror she'd felt when looking up at the doctored base of the crate; face to face with sharp blades and crude shards of glass, while the blonde had been finally rendered to her knees with her complexion alarmingly ashen.

The image fades- dark wings acting like a vignette as the scene disappears down a narrowing pinprick of light- only to be replaced by the image of herself and Emma sat shoulder to shoulder the night this all truly started, when she'd invited the blonde to share the meagre cover of her tent to avoid the rain. She recalls the tentative way the younger woman had attempted to comfort her by placing an arm around her shoulders, and her resentful distaste at this gesture. She remembers the way Emma had pulled back immediately as though scalded; returning hands to her lap that had then been pale and uninjured.

She remembers a dozen and one other times her fate and the blonde's have become a shared burden, and finds herself almost dizzy as the secret showreel in her head plays faster and faster, before she's pulled roughly back into the here and now.

"What's wrong with _him_?"

A surly looking boy asks Tinkerbell as he prods a finger into Regina's arm, and she glowers at him as best she can despite the cold sweat that's broken out across her brow.

"They've been hiding from Pan, he ate some bad berries."

Tink replies seamlessly, casting a disgruntled glance back at her supposed captives before turning back to Tobias.

"Is Pan still out?"

She asks, taking care to keep her tone casual, and Tobias nods as he sneers at the boys bound together by thick vines looped over small wrists.

"Where are the rest of them? Isaac and Will? Perry?"

He grunts.

"No idea, I found these two hiding out by the caves and thought Pan might like a word with them as they seemed rather lacking in any explanation of what they were doing over there, sneaking around."

"They're traitors."

Tobias explains importantly, and Emma watches him carefully from beneath pale lashes as she keeps her head lowered, and notes that the kid's face finally lights up just a little.

_Little shit._

"Shall I bring them in?"

Tink asks, gesturing towards the door to the tree house.

"Hang on."

Tobi shakes his head, and the fairy thins her lips as she watches the other two stiffen slightly. She tries to catch Regina's eye, but the brunette keeps Matty's face turned down to the mud; pale and sickly. Tobias takes a step closer, prodding at the Mayor's arm once more, before pressing his finger beneath Emma's jaw to force her to look at him.

"What _were_ you two thinking?"

He demands, and the blonde swallows as she suffers a worrying floating sensation as Regina's power threatens to fail, and she speaks up quickly, feeling an odd tingling in her limbs and face for just a moment.

"We're sorry."

She appeals, trying desperately not to think of the scene in Harry Potter where the kids' polyjuice potion begins to wear off and failing miserably.

"Sorry? 'Sorry' for deserting your leader?"

Tobias scoffs, and Emma opens George's mouth to feed the kid's own tone back to him with extra cream before receiving a warning tug to the vines at her wrists.

"I think they better explain their reasoning to _Pan_ , don't you? You know how he likes to take care of these matters himself."

Tinkerbell interrupts, and she takes Tobi's angry glower in her stride with a small smile.

A smile that swiftly falters as she watches the brunette stumble; Matty's lashes fluttering over the purple crescents beneath his eyes.

"Woah, those were some _really_ bad berries, huh?"

She grins nervously, swiftly moving around and prompting the others to follow her to the door. Tobias falls into step beside her and for a moment she fears he means to bar the way, but he simply accompanies her through into the large centre space of the tree house with his eyes narrowed suspiciously at the three of them. Aiming to give them their best chance, the fairy pulls her companions further into the room, tugging a little to play into her part, before realising she's made a mistake when Regina groans; limping badly and gritting her teeth. Tobias opens his mouth to offer a comment on this, before his young brow furrows deeper as her watches George place a hand on Matty's shoulder while sporting a bizarrely affectionate expression.

"Since when have you gotten so wimpy you need _George_ to look after you, Matt-the-Brat?"

Tobi jeers, and Emma knows this is a sign she should remove her hand from the brunette's arm, but she can feel the way the darker woman trembles; her flesh clammy and cold. Looking over at Tink desperately, she sees her own concern mirrored in the fairy's eyes, and the latter swallows visibly before offering her a small, sly nod as she dips the hand not holding the rope into her pocket.

"Oh leave him, he's been snivelling away since I found him. Some brats just don't want to get caught."

Tink shakes her head, quickly scanning their surroundings and spying two boys sat in the small food nook beyond the stairs wolfing down some cake, but the majority of Pan's disciples have either been put on sentry duty or had come outside to see what their companions might be doing trussed up, and remain gathered around beneath the moon chattering loudly. Clutching the Illiard egg gently inside the folds of her skirt, she throws one last look at Emma to make sure the younger woman knows what she's about to do.

"That's true, I-"

But Tobias's insight ascends into a shrill shriek as a black plume of smoke erupts seemingly from nowhere; expanding swiftly to engulf the room in shadow, and sending long tendrils climbing up towards the top of the tree house like flames of midnight.

"I'll act as decoy, _go_!"

A low order in Emma's ear and Tink gives her a firm push, before sprinting back the way they'd come and making as much noise as possible through the darkness to draw attention to herself.

"Come on!"

The blonde urges, and she tries to run but is yanked back as her wrists remain bound with Regina's and the brunette stumbles onto her knees with a pained hiss. Biting her lip as she strives to harness her own power, Emma eventually manages to free them both after a couple of failed attempts, and she pulls the Mayor back onto her feet with a groan as Regina grabs onto her hands for support.

"Come on! This way!"

The younger woman repeats through gritted teeth, and she pulls Regina's arm over her shoulders, and helps her clumsily over to the stairs with her other hand held out in front of her; the smoke rendering them blind.

She continues to feel her way around as they ascend the stairs; struggling and stumbling, but refusing to let go of the brunette or give up. She hears the banging of a couple of doors and for a moment she fears that they might be ambushed through the smoke, but it soon occurs to her that the doors being yanked shut are to keep that ominous smog _out_ as panicked cries sound from behind gnarled wood and the boys call to each other wanting to know what's going on.

"Come on..."

Emma pants, barking her shin against something low and hard with a hissed expletive as she curses the stairs for their winding pattern.

"I'm _coming_. I'm not going to come any _faster_ the more times you say it..."

Regina grumbles, and the blonde lets out an exhausted chuckle as she continues to work her way up the seemingly endless steps.

"We should test that theory."

She pants, adjusting her grip on the darker woman which causes them both to keel forwards.

"Let's just focus on survival for now, dear."

The brunette suggests with her jaw clenched, and the younger woman nods as she tries to catch her breath, tasting blood.

"Yeah. Okay."

She agrees, stumbling as they reach the top step of the third flight of stairs, blinking slowly as the thick fog they've been wading through is thinner up here, and she is finally able to see once again.

"Oh shit..."

She exclaims, her tone a mixture of alarm and cautious amusement.

"What?"

Regina demands, relieving Emma of her burden as she feels able to support herself once again, and standing doubled over with her hands on her thighs as she takes in a few deep breaths. The blonde watches her do so curiously, taking in boy's shorts and the Mayor's jacket and boots, as Matty's messy mop of hair has turned from light caramel to dark chestnut.

"Guess it _is_ a little like Harry Potter."

She muses, and Regina pushes herself back up with an exhausted sigh and repeats irritably

"What? What are you _on_ abou-"

But she falters as she drinks in long strawberry blonde curls, and bright orange freckles that only cover the right side of the younger woman's face; the latter's gaze a little disarming due to the different shades of her irises.

"Oh... Oh, no... I... I can't. Emma, I _can't_ anymore..."

She shakes her head, trying to cling on to the last wisps of her power, but feeling immediately dizzy as she digs deeper and grabbing onto the wall.

"It's _okay_! I think it's okay, we're in, we're here, we just need to get up to the fifth floor. Tink's got us covered, I _know_ she has, so stop trying now, it's okay, you did great."

Emma assures, and before she's even finished speaking, the brunette stands before her back in her regular guise; pretty, feminine, if a little pale. Dark eyes glitter as the Mayor feels an enormous sense of relief as she is finally able to let go.

"You want to say it this time?"

The blonde grins breathlessly, and Regina nods as she massages her calf; urging huskily

"Come on."

As she leads them up to the fifth floor as quickly as they are able to manage in their current state. By the time they get there, she's seeing stars, but she places a hand on the heavy wood of the door with a sense of victory, and shares a momentary glance of exhausted elation with the blonde before pushing it open.


	48. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I am very close to approaching a quiet period at work after months of mania, and I am so excited! Hopefully lots more to come over christmas break! Thanks for being patient, and hope you like this chapter! Reviews would be very much appreciated!

As they push through into the games room, each woman tenses up as though expecting further resistance to their cause, but nothing comes. Nothing happens. Nothing but calm and quiet.

Compared to the madness leading up to this moment, the room seems almost eerily silent, before a low snore breaks through that ominous veil, and they each turn- startled- towards a bed in the corner.

Henry lies with his back to them, facing the rough relief of the wooden wall; unmistakable in one of his favourite sweaters and his hair a dark mess.

"Oh my... Oh my god..."

Regina breathes as she remains stood, frozen, with her hand resting against the door behind them.

"Shit, will the kid sleep through _anything_?!"

Emma chips in with a similar tone of hushed shock. She raises a brow pointedly as a series of low thuds sounds from below.

"Runs in the family..."

The brunette jokes softly, offering a trembling smile as green eyes roll wearily. Emma raises her hand, before pressing it with a pained hiss over Regina's against the door; allowing the darker woman to feel her magic course through the fragile bones of her fingers, along with the silent knowledge that they are- for as long as the blonde's spell holds- safe from interruption. With this in place, they share a weighted glance, before hurrying over to the bed and all but attacking the boy peacefully asleep and oblivious.

"Henry!"

Regina cries, a little louder now, and she leans down to embrace him clumsily; peppering his face with kisses as he stirs with a frown of confusion.

"...Mom?"

His brows remain knitted together as he explores the wool of her coat with his eyes slit shut against the light; his movements slow and unsure at first, before seeming to prove to himself that the brunette is really there- really real.

"Mom!"

He exclaims, hugging Regina back fiercely and burying his face into her shoulder. He stays that way for a short while, before rubbing at his eyes and spying the blonde stood behind the kneeling Mayor and reaching out to touch her.

"Emma! You... You guys are _here_! You came!"

"Of _course_ we came!"

Regina scolds, wiping several escaped tears from her cheeks, and the younger woman nods as she perches on the bed.

"Did you get our message? Tinkerbell gave you the volcano glass, but we weren't sure if you'd figure out what to do with it. Henry, we've been looking for you for _days_! We came as soon as we could figure out a way over here."

She explains, and Henry pulls the obsidian from his pocket and lies it on the covers between them.

"I figured it out in the end; I got a splinter and it bled when I took it out. I heard you guys."

"You _knew_ though, didn't you, Henry? You _knew_ we'd come for you?"

Regina urges, and Henry recalls the way Pan had tried to nurture the small seed of doubt planted earlier on, and nods vehemently. Now that his mothers are here in front of him, he finds it impossible to fathom how he might be so cruelly swayed.

"I knew you'd find me."

He assures solemnly, his eyes wide and his hair sticking up on end as he tries to take in his current situation. He can hear shouting and commotion down below, and doesn't miss the way Emma glances nervously over her shoulder at the door.

"How did you get in?"

"A trick. Tink helped us, but I don't think it was well appreciated."

The blonde shrugs, and Henry bites his lip worriedly before looking back at Regina who remains uncharacteristically slumped beside him on the bed.

"Mom... Are you okay?"

He asks with some alarm, and she closes her eyes but nods; reaching out for him and pulling him into her.

"...She'll be alright, she's just beat, kid. We both are. Regina's been using her magic almost non-stop for a while now, and she's struggling."

Uneasy silence in the wake of this statement as Henry waits for the brunette to jump down Emma's throat for suggesting such a thing, but to his surprise, the brunette agrees quietly

"I am. I'll be okay, though. I just need to recharge."

It seems unlikely that she will be given much of a chance, but none of them say it. Henry perhaps hasn't quite grasped the magnitude of the situation after being kept in the dark for so long, and Emma sees no good that will come from voicing her fears. She's a little surprised that the boys haven't ascended the stairs yet- smoke or not- but she catches slamming doors and whoops below that lead her to believe there's a chase going on down on one of the lower floors, and she wonders if they have the fairy to thank.

_If so, I'll take back every ounce of suspicion I had about her._

"Are _you_ okay though, Henry?"

She urges, and he nods, his initial excitement and shock at seeing the two women slowly abating to allow him to drink in how distressed they appear. He touches Regina's hair gently; never having seen it so messy as it is now before, and noting the ashen cast to her features. There's a thin streak of dirt lining her jaw, and looking at it makes his stomach flip nervously as it seems so out of place. Looking up at Emma, he notes the ugly gash across her cheek and the makeshift bandaging to her hands. Both women look as though they've lost weight, and both have dark circles beneath their eyes that speak of stress and exhaustion.

"What happened to you both?"

He asks, and the blonde pulls a face as she explains hollowly

"Pan set traps up out in the woods. Regina stepped into a nasty one and banged up her leg pretty good, while putting her in danger of a crate falling down onto her. I grabbed the rope holding the crate and neither one of us came out of it too well."

Henry swallows, looking from the brunette to the Sheriff while trying to imagine the two working together. They have each always said that they would do whatever needed to be done to watch out for him, but he is struck by their teamwork all the same.

"What about your face, what happened there?"

He asks, leaning over and touching his fingers lightly to the younger woman's cheek. Regina opens her eyes and watches the blonde pensively as the latter seems to hesitate, before Emma brushes off the question with a vague response.

"Those woods are full of bad and dangerous things. We've had quite the trek."

She smiles thinly, before catching the complicated expression Regina offers her and looking away. Up until now, their priorities have been Henry and simply staying in one piece, but now that the boy sits safely between them, she reads in the brunette's eyes that she might be expected to talk about what had happened with Hook in the clearing, and the thought scares her almost as much as crossing the open ground between the bushes and the treehouse had done.

 _One thing at a time. Let's just get home first, let's just see what happens. We don't need to talk about it. Talking won't change anything_.

No, it won't, but Regina's response to the issue had been panicked and temporary. They'd needed Hook out of the way, and so the brunette had erased his memory of what had happened in order to give them space from the others. If they all go back and try to live normally again, things might be different.

 _Of course they will be, everything will be. But_ dealing _with what happened is-_

"-Emma... They're coming up the stairs."

Regina interrupts her troubled thoughts with a look of panic. She's pushed herself up so that she sits leant against their son, but the blonde doesn't miss the way that she winces as she does so. Henry's eyes are similarly wide as he clutches the brunette's arm fearfully; the heavy thud of footsteps crescendoing up the stairs, followed by insistent thuds on the door. Muffled voices echo in a cadence of confusion as Pan's boys find themselves unable to get in, but Emma can feel just how weak her protection spell is with each fist against rough wood, and one look at Regina tells her she's not going to be receiving back up.

"We have to do something..."

The brunette whispers, and the younger woman nods as she fixates on the door. The commotion outside builds with each passing moment, and her mind accompanies that ominous racket with the memory of arrows being drawn and threats being made.

A hard thud- the loudest of them yet- and the door shudders.

They push themselves from the bed and stand huddled in the middle of the room; Henry allowing Regina to hold him to her as she had when he was a lot younger, while the blonde rests a hand on his shoulder.

"What do we do?"

Regina asks with a hitch to her voice, and Emma shakes her head with her teeth sunk deep into her lip.

"I can't hold the door much longer."

She warns quietly, and the brunette nods as she glances over her shoulder at the shuddering wood and grimaces.

"I can't do it, dear, I just, I-"

"-I know. It's okay."

"It's _not_ okay... Emma what are we going to _do_? We're stuck..."

She swallows, aware that Henry's grip on her intensifies, and tightening her own in response. The blonde regards her nervously over the kid's messy hair, seeming to weigh things up in her mind as her jaw ticks visibly. Finally, she speaks, leaning in so close that she presses against the boy, and murmuring quietly

"They don't know everything... They don't know it's us and not Matty, and they don't know how tired you are."

"Well, give them a minute and they'll be fully clued _up_!"

Regina snaps exasperatedly, and Henry looks up as Emma pulls him gently aside and studies him silently for a moment, before she moves to stand toe to toe with the brunette. It is a stance the boy has seen the women take on a number of occasions, but in each of those they'd been challenging one another and trying to force the other to back down. Now, he is struck by the sincerity of the blonde's expression, and watches- mystified- as Regina places a hand on the younger woman's arm.

"I have an idea, but you're going to have to trust me..."

Emma states quietly, and the darker woman's brow furrows as she doesn't like the intensity of the fire in the blonde's eyes.

"What is it?"

She asks, full of trepidation, and the younger woman hesitates as she looks once more from Henry to the Mayor before seeming to make up her mind.

 _You were right to be upset when we used the obsidian to contact Henry; right to be upset that so often our ties with one another are judged by something so insignificant as blood. But you_ weren't _right in what you took it to mea _n. He's been with you since he was a baby, and you've kept him safe this far. You're every bit as much his mother as I am... You can't run anymore. Not with your leg the way that it is, and not with everything this hellhole has demanded from you. To try would be dangerous and foolish, and now that we have Henry back, we can't be either of those things. We're out of better options, so it's time to scrape the barrel...__

"Go, go over there, get in there."

Emma instructs, pointing towards a closet set into the wall. The door fronts dont match- one riddled with Venetian slats, one solid and painted blue- both definitely stolen from their land, as so much in the treehouse seems to be.

" _Why_? Emma, they're not _stupid,_ we can't just go and hide in a closet!"

Regina argues waspishly, but the pull to her mouth suggests she's fairly certain there might be more to the younger woman's plan, but that she's apprehensive to find out just what.

"Just go, get in there with Henry and shut the door."

"Emma, you can't just-"

"-Listen to me! _Trust_ me! You have to do it now, I can't hold the door any longer, and it's the _best_ chance we've got!"

" _What_ is?! Us hiding in there while you-... While you _what_?! What are you-"

"-Please! Regina, please just do it! Please, just _listen_ to me, okay? Go in there, shut the door, and no matter _what_ happens, you _stay_ in there and you stay _silent,_ okay? I mean it! No matter what! _Promise_ me."

"I _can't_ promise you that, I don't even know what the hell you're planning to _do_!"

The Mayor fires back, and while they each keep their voices lowered to little more than a whisper, salt makes those hissed words come out croaky and cracked.

"You _can_... You _can_ trust me. Okay? Please, just do as I say or it will all be for _nothing_."

" _What_ will?! Emma, I-"

"-Mom..."

Henry interjects uncertainly, looking up at the blonde with his young brow furrowed. Regarding him back thoughtfully, Emma takes a step towards him and places a kiss on his forehead before turning back to the Mayor. What she does next surprises Henry greatly; watching as the Sheriff offers the brunette a brief but firm embrace, before once more gesturing towards the closet.

"Please... Go now. There's not much time."

Emma urges, and the darker woman attempts to stare her down, but is forced to look away with a shake of her head.

"Henry, come."

She orders quietly, limping slightly as she leads them towards the closet doors before turning around and imploring solemly

"Just don't do anything stupid, dear, alright?"

_I never promised that._

Emma thinks, but she doesn't say so out loud. Instead, she motions impatiently with her hand until the others disappear from view. Shivering slightly as the incessant knocking on the door feels like fists pummelling her very soul, she closes her eyes and gathers her nerves, before stalking over to the window.

_Let's do this._

She clenches her jaw- her lips forming a hard line- and readies herself for the pain about to surge up her arms from her abused hands. Forming as tight a fist as she can, she tries to shut herself off, and punches through the wooden strips that intersect the glassless window out into the darkness. The wood splinters with a loud crack with her first hit, and when she lands the second punch, her hold over the door releases as she cradles her hand against her stomach while seeing stars and tasting iron.

"Hey!"

One of the boys yells as he sprawls across the threshold, but the blonde ignores him as she steps up to the fractured window and begins to yell frantically

"Go! Go on! You're almost at the bushes! You can make it! Henry, run! Keep going! Keep-"

Before a blow to the back of her head sends her to her knees.

Somewhere close behind her, an angry voice murmurs worriedly

"Goshdammit... Don't say the little shit's escaped!"


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the wait, but happy new year! Hopefully, I should be getting more chapters out with less time between for the next couple of months as work is quieter for me (although I'm getting a cat on Friday- first ever cat!- so might be a bit preoccupied/ wondering what the hell I've done for a couple of weeks!). Hope you enjoy, and more to come soon! Reviews would be awesome :)

_"Goshdammit... Don't say the little shit's escaped!"_

From the closet, the boy's words sound muffled, but Regina is still able to make them out with relative ease. Moving slowly, she takes a sly step to the left in an attempt to peer through the narrow gaps in the Venetian slats. Her view is largely obscured; allowing her to see only snippets of what goes on in the other room. She sees a boy who she believes might be Tobias stood by the window, touching the splintered wood so recently damaged by the Sheriff. Several others crowd around, and for a moment she is certain that she can't see the blonde and that Emma must have made a run for it, but then she realises that the younger woman lies curled up on the floor amidst a small army of child-sized boots.

_Oh god, please get up. Go on, Emma, please..._

She urges silently, her heart in her throat. Finally, the blonde does show some signs of movement, but far from standing up, she merely rolls onto her back with her hand going to her head and a groan escaping her lips. In response, Tobias turns around and gives her a sharp kick in the ribs; garnerning himself a pained bark, and a hiss of rage from the shadows as the brunette's teeth flash angrily. Beside her, Henry reaches out and grabs onto her sleeve; forcing her to look away and down into his upturned face as he mouths fretfully

"We have to help her! Mom, we have to help her _now_!"

Her breath coming out in a shuddering sigh, she swallows and shakes her head; her eyes watering as his grip on her arm becomes one of iron.

" _Mom_!"

He whispers now, making an actual sound, and she shakes her head with greater meaning and holds a finger pointedly to her lips. The look he offers in return is one of confusion and betrayal, and she feels tears prickle in her eyes as she bends down so that she's nose to nose with her son; the slats providing just enough light for him to read her lips

"No, Henry. We have to trust her. We have to wait."

Easier said than done, and she wishes she could convey to the boy just how hard it is for her to obey the blonde's wishes as she demands from him. She would guess that Henry sees her refusal to leave their safe space and help the blonde as a sign of lingering hard feelings about the past, and the thought makes her want to shake him roughly and demand that he understand that so much has changed.

 _So much._ Everything _, really._ Everything's _changed, and the only thing stopping me from going out there right now is the fact that we did everything we could to find you. If I go out there now and give us up, it was all for_ nothing _, just as she said. She asked us to trust her, so we should respect her wish, but oh, Henry, I just pray that we're right in doing so... I'm scared, but I made a promise just now that will do a lot of harm should I break it. Please... Please understand..._

His expression suggests that he doesn't, but she knows that there's nothing she can do to convince him that she has only the younger woman's best interests in mind while they remain trapped behind flimsy wood with fear lacing their blood. Accepting this fact with a sour taste in her mouth, she pulls Henry towards her and holds him tightly; her arms crossed over his chest as she rests her chin on his head and keeps her gaze trained sharply on the scene playing out in the games room.

Tobias's kick has rendered Emma curled once more onto her side, and as he leans down to question her, he rests his boot warningly on her hip.

"Where's Henry?"

He demands, his voice loud and expression grave. The blonde offers him no answer, so he hunkers down- putting more weight onto her side- and grabs her jaw in a bid to force her to look at him.

"Where's _Henry_?!"

He repeats, and she shows him her teeth as she snarls back

"Gone. They left through the window- they'll be well on their way _out_ of here by now!"

This revelation earns the blonde another kick in the guts, and this time her reaction is more alarming as she chokes back a sob.

In the closet, Regina takes a hold of Henry's shoulders and forces him to turn around so that he buries his face into her coat; keeping her hands pressed- shaking- protectively over his ears. She clenches her teeth- digging her chin into the crown of the boy's hair- as she watches the Sheriff's hand go to her side.

 _This is a_ terrible _plan! This is_ awful _, Swan, what the hell were you_ thinking _?!_

She trembles angrily, but she has to admit that she sees no other option available to them. Still, as Tobias moves down to sit astride the blonde to question her up close, it takes every ounce of her will power to keep from bursting out into the room and demanding he get off of her. Instead, she squeazes her eyes shut as the boy closes his hand around the younger woman's throat to coax out answers with fear, and digs deep within herself to pull out the last wisps of her magic; thoroughly drained. She is too tired- too weak- to do anything to help Emma, but with the final ghosts of her power, she allows soft music to play from her palms into Henry's ears; an old song, a nursery rhyme he'd once played on repeat on an old cassette player in his room.

Anything to keep him from having to hear the choked noises the blonde makes as a grubby thumb presses down over her windpipe.

_They're not children, they're monsters..._

Regina seethes, forcing herself to open her eyes and to keep watch over the events in the main room.

"Where's Henry?"

One of the other boys asks, and Emma coughs fitfully as Tobias eases up his grip to allow her enough air to respond, before replying huskily

"I just _told_ you! They're _gone_!"

"Who is _they_? Who's with you?"

Tobias demands, and there's a pause as the blonde debates whether it works in their favour to tell the boys that Henry is with Regina, or if it might be best to tell them he's with Matty and play into their former guise. She leans warily towards the former option; not wanting to put the darker woman in danger, but remembering what Pan had warned her about when mocking her that Henry might consider himself abandoned and angry. If she lets the boys know that Henry's faith in his family has been restored, it should let Pan know that his cruel plot has little chance of working, and while this might incite _anger_ from the Boy King, it may also force an element of retreat.

"Regina. He's with his mother."

She croaks, and Tobias responds with a hard slap to her face as though to punish her for an answer he doesn't wish to hear.

"Liar!"

He roars, although there is a note of unease in his voice, and the blonde suspects that he believes her without doubt.

"Why would I lie? What _good_ would it do me?"

She asks reasonably, the boy's handprint standing out in stark relief against the pale skin of her cheek.

"I don't know."

He admits, and a low hum of exchanged opinions sounds amongst the others.

"You tricked us..."

One of the younger boys closest to the busted window speaks up, and behind the resentment in his tone, Emma detects a waver of fear.

 _They're going to get it for this... They had_ one _job; keep Henry out of our reach. They failed. They failed, and Pan's not going to be happy about it. Not happy at all._

In the case of Tobias, she's not at all sorry about this predicament- her cheek smarting painfully, and she can feel a telling warmth spreading beneath her sweater that lets her know that his kicks to her side have inflicted more damage than that already endured- but she feels a small pang of sympathy for some of the others that crowd around them with wide, solemn eyes.

"We couldn't let Pan hurt Henry."

She confides truthfully; her words quiet and strained as she remains pinned down, looking up at the Lost Boys submissively. She makes no attempt to throw Tobias off of her. She isn't even sure she would manage it right now, as her hip aches something fierce and her hands throb miserably, seemingly in time with the sickening thrum to the back of her head. Either way, she knows if she makes a move, she's grossly outnumbered, and she doesn't want to do anything that might cause the others to give up their hiding place.

In the face of her wordless surrender, silence follows, as the boys seem unsure what to do or how to progress. Finally, this eery quiet is infiltrated by the low thud of steady footsteps ascending the stairs. Regina counts five, maybe six pairs of feet, and shifts her gaze from the boys circling the blonde over to the door. A monent later, a tall boy with a sallow face steps across the threshold in front of several others. His presence sends a ripple through the room, and the brunette notes how many of the younger boys cringe visibly beneath his gaze.

"Where's Henry?"

Felix asks with a furrow of his brow, before looking down at the blonde he recognises from earlier reconnaissance.

"Where _is_ he?!"

He demands, pulling Tobias up off the curious woman and grabbing him by the collar. As he does so, his entourage filters in behind him, and from the closet, dark eyes grow wide and fearful as the Mayor spies a familiar form held up between two of the taller boys.

"Tink..."

She breathes, noting several grazes marking the fairy's arms. She is unable to see her face as it hangs down towards her chest, but their recent ally shows no signs of movement as she slumps between her captors.

"The boy _escaped_! He and the Queen got out through the window! She must have used her magic!"

Tobias stammers in response to Felix's question, and the taller boy scowls as he looks from the broken window to the blonde on the floor.

"Then why did she leave _her_ behind? Why _leave_ her to be found by us? By _Pan_?!"

Felix growls, and Tobi's brow furrows as he struggles for an answer, before Emma laughs quietly from her heap on the floor.

"You really don't know _anything_ , do you? You think Regina cares at _all_ what happens to any of the rest of us? You're idiots- all of you."

"She was working with you."

Felix points out, and the Sheriff shakes her head with a low groan, before continuing raspily

"She _tolerated_ me. _All_ of us. For the sake of getting her son back... She has him now, she doesn't _need_ us. She'll find a way to get Henry out of here without a second glance back. We're _useless_ to you now, you little brat."

Another sharp smack and high bark, but Regina no longer watches what goes on beyond the closet door. She has her head buried firmly into Henry's hair as she strives to keep herself in check. She _knows_ that Emma's words are meant only to bait their assailants, but they hurt none the less. She understands that through her claim, the blonde is gambling for a level of protection for her parents as she distances them from Henry and from Pan's desires, and she has to give credit where it's due, as the younger woman remains slyly on the ball even as she lies wounded on the floor. She wonders though, how much truth might have laced those conniving words had she not invited Emma to share her tent with her. She wonders, had things gone differently, if she really _would_ have left the others to rot.

 _It would never have come to it. If this trip has taught you nothing else, it's that you_ need _her, and she needs you. You wouldn't have found Henry on your own. You_ need _each other. You're family._

She swallows salt and iron as she tries to block out ominously wet coughing from the other room, keeping her hands held over Henry's ears even though her arms have started to ache.

"We _must_ find the boy... We can't let him get away. Pan will want to know about this... Tobias- you may tell him."

Felix speaks up, and Tobias flinches visibly, but eventually nods in agreement to this undesirable order.

"You two-" Felix points to two of the boys stood closest to him, each about thirteen in age- "You take her down below with Tink. Give her a dose of pollen once you've secured her; she may not look like much, but she's a witch."

Another low murmur of curious terror, and Regina looks up fearfully; unsure what to do. The blonde doesn't appear to be moving, and she sinks her teeth into her lip as she watches one of the boys yank at Emma's damaged hands in order to hoist her up gracelessly. The Sheriff makes a low noise in response, but nothing else, and the brunette suspects that the dull smack of impact she'd heard must have been to either the blonde's face or head.

 _What do I do now? What do I_ do? _!_

She wants to ask Emma, but knows there's no way of doing so. She is terrified at the prospect of allowing the boys to take the blonde from her sight, but she replays the younger woman's words over in her mind as she digs her fingers fretfully into Henry's coat.

_Trust me, or this will all be for nothing._

And she _had_ trusted her, she _had_ listened, but she isn't convinced that things are going to Emma's plan anymore. Still, if she attempts to help the younger woman now and gives away her position- _Henry's_ position- then the Sheriff will be right; they will _all_ be captured, and _all_ be punished. The slap to her face and the brutal kicks to the blonde's side will mean nothing.

_I'll figure something out, I promise. I promise I'll figure out a way to get you and Tink out of here. Please believe me..._

She pleads silently, watching as the crowd of spectators and captives filter from the room. She tries to catch a glimpse of Emma's face as they leave, but the blonde is flanked on either side, and she catches nothing but the tousled waterfall of her hair.

 _Shit_.

She remains stood, frozen, for quite some time once she and Henry are left alone. She can hear footsteps and voices down below, but they appear muffled and far away. Finally, she lowers her hands from the boy's ears and speaks to him softly.

"Henry... We need to get out of here."

"Where's Emma?"

He asks, but he keeps his face buried into her chest, and she knows he's afraid to turn around in case he sees something he doesn't want to.

"We need to help her. We can't do that while we're hidden up here, Henry, we have to go."

She insists, avoiding his question warily.

"But-"

"-They took her. We can't stay here."

Regina elaborates tersely, and wide eyes blink up at her full of terror.

"They _took_ her? _How_?! You have _magic_ , how could you-"

"-I'm almost out... Not forever, but until I can get some of my energy back... Emma, too. We've both been using what we have to get to you, and there's _limits_ , Henry. We've had to make choices."

"... Tobi kicked her... He's a _kid_ and he kicked her. Hard."

Henry murmurs, and the brunette sighs as she understands the lack of fear shown by the boy when they'd found him. This hasn't been _real_ to him, it hasn't been _final_... Not until what just happened. Closing her eyes as she remembers the pure fear that has engulfed her in the face of the glass shards littering the dommed crate out in the forest, she touches his cheek gently and whispers

"They don't fight like children... Those in charge do not _think_ like children. Right now, they're stronger than us, they have the upper hand. We need to get out of here, Henry. This is _real_ now. We need to get out of here and figure out a way to save Emma and Tinkerbell. This is serious."

The boy regards her gravely as he senses the importance of her words, and he nibbles his bottom lip nervously.

"What do we do?"

"We can't make our way back through the treehouse; there's too many of them and they mustn't see you. Not under any circumstance."

"How about the window?"

"Henry?"

"The window. Why don't we use that? When the curse first broke in Storybrooke, you made it so that I was almost flying... Can't we fly out of here? Pan could..."

"Pan uses pixie dust; Emma told me. It says so in the books she read when she was younger."

"But you're _magic_."

"I am... But, I can't make both of us fly. Not now. I attempted something similar with Miss Swan on our way here, and... We very nearly didn't make it. I didn't tell _her_ that as it seemed pointless to bring up given that we were both okay. I can't _do_ that with you though, Henry. I can't take that risk. Flying is difficult, and I'm afraid of failing when we're so high up."

"Then what do we do?"

The boy asks, his young brow furrowed uneasily. Regina clenches her hands into fists inside the pockets of her coat and stalks towards the splintered ruins of the window frame. Looking down, she sees the light of several torches flickering towards the forest.

_They're looking for us. Hunting us._

Peering a little closer to home, she studies the gnarled bark that twists below the frame, and the jutting platforms of several stunted branches.

"If we climb out and around, we should be able to make it down. We don't want to end up in front of the door as there are likely still to be sentries, and we don't want to end up directly below this room as they might be looking for us there, too. They're panicking though, I can hear it. They're not thinking as they normally would, and given that Miss Swan led them to believe you and I were well on our way out into the island, that seems to be where most of them are heading. We might just be able to do this undetected. I think I can just about see us down with a little help. It's not going to be like flying, but it should save us from falling at least... You'll just have to trust me."

 _Trust me... Trust me she said, and I did._ Forgive _me, but I did, and look what happened... Look where it got her..._

Clenching her jaw, she orders such thoughts to cease plaguing her mind, and stalks towards the bed. Turning to Henry, she instructs him to stand on the flimsy mattress so that he towers over her.

"Come on, get up on the bed. I can't hoist you up, you're too big, but if we do it this way, I should be able to carry you. Put your arms around my shoulders and hold on to me."

She coaxes, and the boy does as she says, but remarks dubiously

"You've _never_ given me a a piggy back before... Do you even know how?"

"If _Emma_ can do it, it can't be that hard."

She grunts as she attempts to adjust his weight once he clings onto her, knowing that this in no way the case, but such idle bickering works to soothe her with its familiarity.

"Okay... Hold on tight, alright?"

She pants, making her way over to the window and closing her eyes as she harnesses the weak tendrils of power that have blossomed while hidden in the closet. There's not much there- not much at all- but it's enough to aid the awkward climb out of the window and the slow shuffle to the east side of the tree house. From there, it works to allow her to merely touch the rough relief of the tree's trunk, rather than cling to it as a climber would. Her main exertion lies in supporting Henry's weight, and once he wraps his legs around her waist at her request, she finds this isn't as hard as she'd feared.

"Hold on, dear, we're almost down."

She mutters breathlessly; continuing their descent through the shadows cast by the tree. She allows herself hope that they might just make it, as the trunk widens out beneath her hands and feet to form thick, sturdy roots. They're close, so close, and she increases her speed; desperate to disappear fully from sight once more. Desperate to hide.

"Just a few more steps, and-"

"-Hey!"

A voice causes her to freeze in her tracks, and she feels Henry's grip around her shoulders tighten fearfully.


End file.
